Safe charitable giving during the holidays

By:  Rob Baquera, Public Information Officer, Roseville Police Department

The holiday season is traditionally a season for giving. Many of us are thinking about those less fortunate than we are. Others are looking to take advantage of tax breaks before the year end. Whatever the reason, to help to make sure you have a positive outcome, be aware, scammers are very active this time of year.

Charity scams appear in various shapes and sizes:

Online giving

There’s been a lot growth in online scamming over the past year, many bad-actors are purporting to be charities requesting donations. Even if you recognize a respected charity name, don’t assume the request is really coming from them. Take a close look at the name of the sender. Does it really show an email address pertaining to that charity? Charity webmails usually end in “.org”. If not, it is probably a scam. Don’t click on or open any links on these messages. Doing so may give the sender access to personal information on your computer and in some cases gives the sender control over your computer.

Unsolicited phone calls

Phone scamming continues to increase. It’s estimated over 59 million US residents lost money from a phone scam in 2021. Legitimate charities rarely make random calls for donations. The easy way to avoid scam calls is to just not answer calls if you don’t recognize the caller. Most of these calls are automated (Robocalls) and never leave a voicemail. Never call a phone number back if they don’t leave a legitimate message.

House calls and street collectors

It’s relatively easy for scammers to go door to door pretending to be collecting for a charity. Some even have fake IDs they show you, knowing that you don’t easily have the capability to check if the ID is valid or not. To help deter door to door scammers, post a “No Soliciting” sign on or near your front door. The same advice exists when you’re out around town and someone is collecting on the sidewalk. Even if they have a compelling story or a legitimate sounding charity, if you’re not sure, don’t donate.

Tips to follow:

• Don’t let any charity rush or pressure you into making a donation, of any kind.
• Look for specifics regarding how your donation will be used.
• Confirm that the charity or organization is legitimate and is a non-profit organization listed with the FTC (www.consumer.ftc.gov/).
• Avoid sweepstakes claiming to exchange winnings for a donation; that’s both a scam and illegal.

Some sites to use to search for legitimate and registered charities or non-profit organizations are:

• BBB Wise Giving Alliance http://www.give.org/
• Charity Navigator http://www.charitynavigator.org/
• CharityWatch http://www.charitywatch.org/
• Guidestar http://www.guidestar.org/

Taking time to ask questions, gather information, and verify an organization’s non-profit status can help make sure that your generous giving will truly go to those that need help. It can also help ensure that your personal information is protected and not compromised by scammers looking for easy targets. If you believe you have been the victim or have had your personal information jeopardized, please contact the Roseville Police Department or file a crime report online.

Keep online purchases safe this holiday season!

By:  Rob Baquera, Public Information Officer

Roseville Police Department

Yes, that wonderful time of year is rapidly approaching and we’re sure many of you can’t wait to get clicking online or don your virtual elbow pads to get hunting for bargains at the mall.

While we all wish for an enjoyable holiday shopping experience, we know there are criminals out there who have a clear desire to spoil your fun. Just as we find more advanced ways to catch criminals, they create new ways to steal your hard-earned money. But...there are precautions you can take that will help from becoming a victim.

While shopping online:

• Create strong passwords that are difficult to guess. Include numbers, capital letters and special characters like !?&a. Don’t use the same password for all your logins and if you have to write them down to remember, keep the list locked away somewhere at home.
• Only shop and pay at reputable sites that have a URL starting with https://.
• Never use a debit card to shop online. Credit cards have more added protections.
• Validate who emails are really coming from. If you click on the sender’s name, you’ll often see that the email is actually not from Target, Walmart or Amazon.
• Avoid opening emails that suggest you’ve won a prize. You haven’t. Never click to open a file from someone you don’t know. It could contain a virus that takes control of your computer and sends all your private data to a criminal.

Protect those packages:

• Once you’ve ordered items, make sure they’re not stolen before they make it inside your house.
• Track your packages and encourage delivers are placed in a hidden area.
• If you’re going to be out of town, don’t order items to sit on your front steps, have it delivered to a trusted neighbor or use a service like Amazon locker.
• If you’re away from home for an extended amount of time, ask USPS to hold your mail.

If you believe you’re a victim of package or mail theft, file a report on the Roseville Police Department website: www.roseville.ca.us

Whether you shop in stores or online, it's really important to frequently check your bank and credit card accounts. If something appears in your account that you don’t recognize, immediately call your bank or card issuer.

If you are diligent in following the above advice, the worst that will happen this holiday season is that you’ll receive two pairs of the same socks. Happy holidays!

Animal Control officers help keep the public safe

Did you know Animal Control is part of the Roseville Police Department?  Animal Control officers make every effort to keep the public safe, protect animals, and educate the community on how to be responsible pet owners. 

As part of their duties, Animal Control officers enforce animal laws and ordinances such as:

• Leash law / At-large: Dogs must be on a leash when off the premises of the owner or the person having care, custody, control or possession of the dog. The leash shall not exceed six feet in length and shall be of sufficient strength to restrain the dog and must be held continuously by a responsible person capable of controlling the dog. When on the premises of the owner or the person having care, custody, control or possession of the dog, the dog must be restrained by means adequate and sufficient to prevent the dog from leaving the premises or under the control and in the immediate presence of the owner or person having care, custody, control or possession of the dog. 
• Domestic Fowl:  Roseville residents can keep up to ten (singly or in combination) ducks, chickens, or pigeons on residentially zoned property within the city. Any domestic fowl shall be kept in a sanitary enclosure and the enclosure shall not be located within 20 feet of any building or property line. It is important to note that if there is a fenced area around the coop where chickens can walk around, that area is considered part of the enclosure, and its perimeter must be at least 20’ away from any property line. Animal special permits may be granted by the Police Department for coops that are not in strict conformity with the provisions of the Roseville Municipal Code. Special permit applications are available online at the Police Department website and front counter. When received, the application will be reviewed by an Animal Control Officer who will evaluate the plan for the coop and the area where it is proposed. If it is determined the coop will not cause public health and welfare problems, a special permit may be issued. There can be specific conditions imposed with the permit that the permittee must follow.  Permits are annual and there is a $25/year fee. Special permits can be subsequently modified or revoked if violations of permit conditions are discovered or if the chickens become a source of complaints to Animal Control. Owners of residential chicken coops must also be aware of the animal noise ordinance. If their chickens make continuous/incessant noise for 20 minutes, or intermittently for an hour or more which disturbs the peace of a neighbor, they can be fined.
• Service dogs: "Service animals" are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person's disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA (Adults with Disabilities Act)." -U.S. Department of Justice.

Mandatory registration of service animals is not permissible under the ADA (Adults with Disabilities Act) and does not require service animals to wear a vest, ID tag, or specific harness. Therefore, the City of Roseville no longer issues service dog ID tags. If you would like to obtain service dog identification, you will need to contact a private company. Service dogs are still subject to the same licensing and vaccination rules that are applied to all dogs in the City of Roseville and must be licensed with the City of Roseville.

Animal Control officers play a vital role in keeping the public safe.  If you have questions or concerns, Animal Control can be reached at (916) 774-5090.

Gun Safety

By:  Rob Baquera, Public Information Officer, Roseville Police Department

If you live in one of the 44% of U.S. households with a gun, Roseville P.D. urges you to ensure guns are always stored safely. Safe gun storage means all guns are (1) locked (2) unloaded and (3) securely stored separately from ammunition.

Why?

• An estimated 54% of U.S. gun owners don’t lock all their guns safely.
• 4.6 million American kids live in homes with at least one loaded, unsecured gun.
• Firearms are the leading cause of death for children ages 1-19. That includes homicides, accidental shootings, and suicides.
• In incidents of gunfire on school grounds, up to 80% of shooters got the gun from the home of friends or relatives.
• It’s the law. California is one of six states that requires safe gun storage, meaning all guns must be stored unloaded and in a place that’s not accessible to children or any adults who are prohibited from possessing a firearm.
• Safely transporting firearms—According to California law, if you’re transporting a handgun or registered assault weapon in a vehicle, it must be unloaded and locked in the car’s trunk or in a locked container, like a gun lock box. A vehicle’s cargo compartment or glove box does not qualify as a locked container.  Shotguns and regular rifles don’t have to be in a locked container but must be unloaded during transport.

How?

• If you own two or more firearms, a gun safe is a good option for home storage. To better protect your firearms from theft, secure the safe to a structure in the house or garage—for example, bolt it to the wall or floor. A biometric lock (one that opens only with the owner’s thumbprint) is safer than a key or combination lock.
• A gun lockbox is lighter than a safe and is an option for storing single guns at home or transporting them in a vehicle. Again, a biometric (thumb/fingerprint) lock is safer than a key or combination lock.
• A vehicle console/vehicle gun safe safely stores guns and can prevent theft if the safe is secured to the vehicle. Biometric locks are preferred.
• Trigger locks and cable locks prevent a gun from being fired (Never use a trigger lock on a loaded gun). They can be dismantled with minimal tools and skills, so they’re not the safest option around older children and teens.
•  If you’re shopping for a new firearm, consider a personalized or “smart” gun that employs authorized use technology. like a thumb scan or a passcode on your smartphone. That ensures only you can use your firearm, and not a child or other unauthorized person.

BUT…

• Doesn’t this defeat the purpose of having a gun readily at hand in case I need to protect myself?

             - There are many affordable options for firearms storage that allow gun owners quick access

                while still preventing access by children and other people at increased risk of harming

                themselves or others.

• I don’t have kids and I never have children visit my home. Why do I need to be concerned about safe gun storage?

             - Your gun could be stolen and used in a violent crime. It’s estimated that 380,000 guns are

                stolen from private gun owners every year, many from vehicles. Studies have shown that

                you’re much less likely to have a gun stolen if it’s safely stored.

             - Safe gun storage is required by California law.

Source: Everytown Research & Policy. For more research-based information about safe gun storage and gun safety, visit them on the web at www.everytownresearch.org