911 - SINCE YOU ASKED…

“I didn’t know if I should call or not.” We hear this a lot! In fact, it’s probably

the most frequent comment we hear. People already know they should

ALWAYS call 911 for medical and fire emergencies, but they are often

uncertain if who or what they are seeing justifies calling the police. Failure to act

may result in your neighbor (or you) being the victim of a crime and/or loss of

property. Please, don’t make excuses. Call the police if you see anything or

anyone suspicious, especially if something just doesn’t “feel right.”

Should I call 911 or the police non-emergency number (336-373-2222)?

If the situation is active (currently happening), a crime is in progress, or you need

an officer immediately on the scene, call 911. If it’s a suspicious person, you

need an officer to respond while the person is in the area, not after enough time

has passed for him/her to leave the area. While the activity is happening, you

need an officer present then, not later, to hopefully stop it or apprehend the

offender. The non-emergency number may not result in a response for as

much as 24 hours because, after all, it’s a NON-emergency!

Guilford County has a state-of-the-art call center easily able to handle the volume

of calls received on a daily basis. Both emergency and non-emergency calls go

to the same call center where they are routed based on the number called. If you

have a doubt which number to call, dial 911 and explain to the telecommunicator,

and they will decide how the call should be routed.

I don’t want anyone to know I called the police! What if I don’t want to get

involved?

When you call the police, you do NOT have to give your name! You can

report suspicious activity, suspicious persons, criminal activity, etc.

anonymously. If it’s not an emergency, you can even submit a report online at

the Greensboro Police p2c website. Go to: http://p2c.greensboro-nc.gov/ReportIncident/IncidentEntry_Disclaimer.aspx

If I call police, does the responding officer come to my house to talk with

me?

It’s your choice. You do NOT have to talk with the responding officer. Tell

the 911 dispatcher you do not want the officer to come by your house.

What if the suspicious person is innocent? I’ll be so embarrassed!

Hopefully, they ARE innocent. That person has a legal right to walk along any

public street or be on any public property, and the police can not stop and

question them without a reason to do so. When a citizen calls to report a

suspicious person and gives details as to why they are suspicious, it gives police a

reason to stop and speak with that person.

Will I get in trouble if what I thought was suspicious is not?

The Greensboro Police Department WANTS you to call them if you suspect any

suspicious activity! They would much rather send a patrol car to investigate

BEFORE a crime than to have to spend time and resources on an investigation

after a crime has occurred.

This newsletter is compiled by us

as part of the Old Starmount

Community Watch program and is

being made available, upon

request, to other neighborhood

Community Watch groups for

distribution. Our thinking is the

more people we can educate and

inform, the safer we all will be.

We receive information from

many sources and pass on things

we feel would be of interest to

others. Any information copied

directly from a source has a

reference for that source.

If you have suggestions for

articles, please contact us. We

have a number of law enforce-

ment people always willing to

help us get answers.

We also invite you to “like” our

Facebook page on which we post

information throughout the month. www.facebook.com/OldStarmount

Ed and Bev Andrews

Old Starmount

Community Watch Coordinators

OldStarmount@gmail.com

CONTENTS

Guilford Metro 911 P. 2 Telephone Statistics

Guilford Metro 911 P. 3 Dispatch Statistics

Summer Reminders P. 4

FYI from GPD P. 5

Protect Your Home P. 6

The Old Starmount Neighborhood, Greensboro, North Carolina

JULY 2020

Guilford Metro911 2019 Annual Report Page 16

https://www.greensboro-nc.gov/departments/guilford-metro-9-1-1 Page 2

Page 3

GM911 Emergency Communications dispatched EMS calls for all of Guilford County. Our center provides 911 dispatch and radio services for other cities, towns, and unincorporated areas in Guilford County, excluding the City of High Point.

Guilford Metro911 2019 Annual Report Page 17

https://www.greensboro-nc.gov/departments/guilford-metro-9-1-1

https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heattips.html

Stay Cool. Wear cool clothing, try to do activities that will avoid overheating, take frequent breaks, wear sunscreen, eat light meals.

Stay Hydrated. Drink before you’re thirsty. Water is your best option, but check with your doctor if you’re on medication that reduces

your body fluids or if you’re limited to your fluid intake. Very cold water may cause stomach cramps, and do NOT

drink alcohol or drinks high in sugar as these can actually make you lose fluid. If you’ve been doing activities that have

caused a great deal of sweating, drink sports drinks to replace minerals and salt that have been lost. Again, check with

your doctor if you have a medical condition.

Stay Informed. Check weather conditions before starting activities, watch for signs of heat-related illnesses

(https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/warning.html), and carefully watch those who may be more susceptible to

problems (e.g. elderly, young children, overweight individuals, those with an existing medical condition.)

Page 4

As the days heat up, we find ways to cool down! Most convenient is the garden hose coiled up under the bushes in our yard. If this is your chosen option of fun for the kids and relief from the heat, please make sure you let the water run for a short while after turning it on. This also applies if using

the hose to cool down a pet .

Water that’s been sitting in a garden hose in the sun on a 89-94 degree day may get as hot as 140 degrees and can cause third-degree burns within a mere 5 seconds!

https://www.webmd.com/children/news/20180606/hot-garden-hose-water-poses-scalding-risk

One third of hot car deaths are the result of a child getting into an unlocked car on their

own.

Please keep your cars locked while parked at home even if you don’t have children.

Keep keys out of reach so children won’t be able to climb in and play in your vehicle.

Set your parking brake before getting out of the car. Should a child gain access to your

vehicle, at least this will reduce the chances of it rolling if knocked out of gear.

DON’T MAKE YOUR VEHICLE A TARGET

(GPD Facebook page, June 18, 2019)

• Lock your car doors.

The majority of things stolen from cars and car thefts are

from UNLOCKED cars.

• Take your keyfobs out of the car

• Take your valuables out of the car

• Always double check your car is locked

FYI from GPD

IF YOUR VEHICLE IS BROKEN INTO

• Don’t touch or move the vehicle.

• Call police and file a report.

• Call your insurance company.

• If glass is broken, replace it right away.

• Take pictures of any damage.

• If there is a chance your personal information could

be compromised, alert your bank and the credit

agencies.

From: “What to Do in Case” Series

Greensboro Police Department https://www.greensboro-nc.gov/home/showdocument?id=17572

REMINDER

If you’re going walking on a trail, in a park, or

taking your children to a playground or the pool:

1) Do NOT leave anything of value inside your car

that can be seen. Don’t give a thief a reason to

break in.

2) Put everything (wallet, coolers, etc.) in your

trunk BEFORE you leave your house. You don’t

want to be seen at the location putting things

inside your trunk.

3) Make sure all windows are up, and lock your

car!!!

The following are illegal to possess in North Carolina: firecrackers, fireworks that spin on the ground, roman candles,

bottle rockets, and any aerial fireworks. Essentially, any firework that explodes or leaves the ground is not legal in North

Carolina. The penalties for using these type of fireworks is a misdemeanor charge punishable by a fine up to

$500.00 and/or imprisonment of up to six months.

You must be 18 years old to purchase fireworks in North Carolina.

Posted on NextDoor.com by GPD Recruiter E.Y. Watkins, July 1, 2016 Page 5

IF YOU TRAVEL:

Do NOT leave your GPS in your car parked at the airport or at your motel because it

gives a thief a reason to break into your vehicle. Even worse, since you probably have

“Go Home” programmed with your home address, all that thief needs to do is touch the

button to go to YOUR home - where you aren’t! Chances are, the thief will be taking home

some nice “souvenirs” during the “visit!”

Protect Your Home While You are on Vacation

http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=20517

A home that appears unoccupied is an attractive target to burglars. Most burglars do not want to be confronted

by residents because they want to get in and out of your place as quickly as possible and with as many valuables

as possible. Here are some things you can do to make your home less attractive to burglars while you are on vacation:

• Take a look at the locks on your doors and windows. If they are weak (or nonexistent), get them installed, upgraded

or replaced.

• Walk around the outside of your house - in both daytime and nighttime. Look at it from a burglar's point of view.

If you see anything of value that can be easily taken, secure it. If you notice areas of vulnerability (such as

broken windows), get them fixed. Are there areas where a person can enter your home undetected? Install lights or

motion sensors.

• If you don't already have a record of all your valuables, now would be a good time to document them and take

photos. This record will come in handy for both police and your insurance company if your home gets

burglarized.

• Hide the valuables inside your home. If they can't be found, they can't be taken.

• Do not advertise your travel plans. Refrain from telling friends on social media that you will be away because it

announces when your home will be vacant.

• Have mail and newspaper delivery stopped. If they pile up, it's a sure sign you're not at home.

• Ask a trusted neighbor to watch your home while you're away. See if they will pick up any circulars that are

delivered and park their car in your driveway from time to time.

• For an extended trip, request a friend or neighbor to mow your lawn to give the appearance that someone is at

home.

• Set plug-in timers on the radio, lights and television to give the illusion that someone is home.

• Double check all house windows and doors to make sure they are locked before you leave. If you have a

sliding door, place a steel rod in the door channel. Don’t forget to secure the garage, work-shop and storage

shed.

• If you have an alarm, be sure to set it. This would be a great time to update the emergency contact information with

your alarm company so they can make the appropriate notifications should something happen while you are away.

Page 6