Recently we've seen an increase in stolen rent checks from overnight drop boxes across Washington County. If you can avoid dropping a check in a box, it can help reduce the risk of your identity being stolen.

Renters, here are some ways to better protect yourself:

• Pay rent online if available or have your rent auto-withdrawn from your account.
• If you can't pay online, don't pay using cash, which can be untraceable if lost or stolen.
• Avoid drop boxes if possible.
• Hand your payment directly to your landlord or apartment manager.
• Keep track of your check numbers and monitor your bank account withdrawals.
• Ask for confirmation that your landlord or apartment manager received your rent payment.

If you believe you may have had your check stolen, please call Non-Emergency Dispatch 503-629-0111 to report the theft to an officer. You can also report online at www.tigard-or.gov/report-a-crime for thefts under $5,000.

By calling Non-Emergency Dispatch, not only will you be able to file a police report, but you will also be providing crucial information for our crime analyst to track trends, identify patterns and potentially prevent future crimes.

We’ve all practiced social distancing, but what about safety when we are in crowds? As we readjust to being around large groups again, it’s important to remember tips for staying safe in crowded areas.

Tips for Staying Safe in Crowds

Personal Safety

• Always keep children in sight. Make sure they know your name, phone number, and what to do if you become separated.
• Before entering a crowded space, pick a spot to meet your group if anyone does get separated.
• Dress your group alike in bright or matching clothing so you can pick each other out in a crowd.
• Be aware of what you see, hear, and smell in your surroundings. Seeing aggressive behavior, hearing yelling or screaming, or smelling smoke can be indicators that it’s time to exit the crowd.
• Know your exits – they may even be behind you.
• Walk around crowds rather than through them to reduce the likelihood of pickpockets or being separated from a family member.

 

Protecting Belongings

• Try to only carry your ID and one bank card, or a small amount of cash.
• Carry important items in your front pockets.
• Keep purses and bags closed and in front of you (not to the side or behind).
• Enable phone tracking features in case it gets separated.

You may have noticed some of your online accounts encouraging you to set up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), sometimes called 2 Factor Authentication (2FA). But what does that mean and is it really that important to set up?

YES! Here’s why.

In the past, you were able to log in to websites like your email, social media, or bank accounts using a simple password. MFA adds an extra layer of protection for your online accounts by asking you to complete a second step to prove your identity before you can log in. That can look like verifying your identity on another device, accessing a code sent through your email, tapping a link in an app, or even using facial recognition.

Why go through the extra step? By verifying your identity through means other than a password, hackers are much less likely to gain unauthorized access to your accounts. When MFA is enabled, a hacker would not be able to access your account without additional access to your smart phone, email, or other secondary means of verification.

That said, it’s still important to practice internet safety. If you don’t recognize an MFA attempt (for instance, if you get a message saying “Are you trying to log in on another device?” or “Here’s your verification code”), then it’s a good idea to avoid clicking any links and instead use a new tab in your web browser to navigate to the website’s home page to log in.

Heads up: sometimes scammers and hackers will call you on the phone pretending to be an online service and will ask you for a verification code sent to your phone or email. By providing that code, you’re providing the person on the other end of the line permission for them to access your account and potentially lock you out. When in doubt, hang up and call customer service directly through the number on the company’s website or on back of your bank card.

When it comes to online security, it’s better to be overprepared and secure than being vulnerable to hackers.

Community members often use the term robbery when referring to a burglary that has happened in the neighborhood. Although both crimes may leave a resident feeling fearful and unsafe in their home, the two terms are very different.

A robbery is a theft by coercion. The robber steals by using physical force, which may include a weapon, or the threat of force. The willingness to confront the victim makes it a more severe crime. Fortunately, residential robberies are not frequent.

A burglar tends to target homes where the resident does not appear to be home and their activities cannot be seen by neighbors. They generally do not want a confrontation or to risk being identified. Many burglaries happen during the day when residents are at work or school.

We offer a Home Security Checklist that provides many tips on making your home more secure. The following crime prevention strategies can help you customize the checklist for your needs:

• Make it appear as though someone is home when you’re at work or on vacation.
• Improve visibility to your home so neighbors and passers by can observe activities on your property. That way they can more easily spot suspicious activity if it should occur.
  • Vegetation, exterior lighting, fencing and other structures can block sight lines. Most importantly, where access points to your home – doors, windows and gate--are concealed, a burglar can break in and no one will be able to see them.
• Target harden your home. This access control strategy is what comes to mind when we think about crime prevention – installing sturdy primary and secondary locks on doors, windows and gates. It can also include removing tools and ladders from your yard so they cannot be used to break in.
• Install camera surveillance and alarm systems. The ability to verify an alarm notification through real-time video footage can be a deterrent. The system should be used in addition to and not in lieu of crime prevention strategies.
• Remove valuables from public view. A burglar may target a home anyway, but may be more motivated after seeing what is available in the home.
• Hide valuables. If a burglar breaks in, their time in the home is limited and they typically will go to the master bedroom and office for valuables. Choosing places that they won’t think to look can reduce losses.
• Get to know your neighbors and watch out for each other. You will know the routines of the neighborhood and will be more able to identify suspicious activity.
  • When determining what is suspicious, please focus on activity and behaviors, not people. Please do not assume criminal behavior or ill-intent based on race or ethnicity. We want police services to be appropriately used in ways that are not harmful to community members.

For suspicious activity, call:

• 911 for immediate threats to life or property and crimes in progress
• 503-629-0111 for non-emergency police response

Although theft of car parts, such as a license plate or car wheels, is not uncommon, catalytic converter theft frequently increases as metal prices rise.

Priuses, vans, trucks and SUVs are among the vehicles targeted with many of the thefts occurring at night.

When a catalytic converter is stolen, victims will hear a loud rumbling sound when they start their vehicle.

To prevent catalytic converter theft, consider one or more of the following tips:

• Park vehicles in a garage.
• If you don’t have a secure garage, park in well-lit and well-travelled areas, ideally with camera surveillance.
• Avoid parking in unattended lots for extended periods of time.
• Secure your catalytic converter with a strap, lock, cage or bolts. Research your options.
• Engrave your license plate or VIN number on the converter, so that it can be identified to you if recovered.
• Look out of your front window if you hear unusual noises outside. There are times when victims heard something but dismissed what was happening.
• Call in suspicious activity to the police. For immediate threats to life or property, or crimes in progress, call 911. Otherwise, you can contact the non-emergency number at 503-629-0111.

If you are a victim of theft, report the incident by calling the police non-emergency number at 503-629-0111 or file online. (Please read the criteria before completing an online report.)

Car prowls are consistently one of the top crimes in Tigard.

Prowlers typically target cars that have valuables in them. What may not be considered valuable to the owner, such as coins in a cup holder, may motivate a thief to break in.

Thefts from vehicles can lead to other crimes. If the thief steals a garage door opener, they may commit a burglary. The theft of sensitive documents i.e. passports, credit cards and statements may lead to identity theft. They may be able to steal a car because the remote is left in the vehicle.

Prowlers get into vehicles by opening an unlocked door, breaking a window or tampering with a lock. In some cases, they may be able to hack into newer vehicles that have proximity keys.

Please do what you can to prevent vehicle break ins and thefts:

• Lock up!
• Remove valuables from your vehicle. Thieves break into cars for anything that might be valuable. Shopping bags and gym bags are often targeted since they may contain items such as electronics or merchandise.
• Hide accessories for mobile phones and other devices.
• Remove documents containing personal information, garage door openers, car keys and other items that can make you vulnerable to other crimes.
• Park in the garage or a well-lit and well-traveled area to increase the chances that you or your neighbors can observe activity around your car.
• If your car has a keyless entry and starter, place your key fob in a faraday bag (RFID blocking) to prevent a thief from gaining entry by hacking.
• Pay attention to your surroundings. If you observe someone looking into vehicles and/or checking car handles; immediately report the suspicious activity to the police.
• Call 9-1-1 for immediate threats to life or property or crimes in progress.
• If it is not an immediate threat, you can call the police non-emergency number at 503-629-0111.
• File a police report by calling the non-emergency number or filing online (if it meets the criteria).

Tigard Police hear from a lot of community members whose personal information has been compromised. Some of the ways they learn their personal information has been used:

• Debt collectors call about loans or credit cards they haven’t applied for,
• The IRS notifies them that a refund has already been filed in their name when they send in their taxes,
• A charge shows up on their insurance bill for a medical procedure they never received,
• There are unusual debits that show up on their bank statement,
• Bills are not showing up on time.

Identity thieves steal personal information through:

• Obtaining paper documents containing sensitive information in the trash, car prowls or other methods,
• Hacking into accounts with weak passwords,
• Purchasing data obtained in data security breaches on the dark web,
• Successfully phishing through email, text or phone calls,
• Obtaining information through skimming,
• Setting up fake companies that appear legitimate.

If your personal information hasn’t been compromised, please be proactive given the volume of data security breaches over the last few years.

Some ways to protect yourself:

• Review your bank and credit card transactions carefully and often. Immediately look into suspicious charges on your accounts.
• Cross-shred any documents containing sensitive information. you can participate in Shred Events coordinated by police departments. Picture attached.
• Use long, hard-to-guess passphrases for your accounts that include numbers and special characters. Do not recycle passwords or use the same passphrase on multiple accounts.
• Check your free credit reports annually to ensure that no one has taken out a loan in your name. Find out more here.
• Freeze your credit reports or use a credit monitoring service. Freeze your children’s credit reports, since id thieves target minors information, knowing their credit will not be monitored until they need a loan much later in life.
• Do not provide personal information in response to unsolicited phone calls, emails, social media DMs or text messages.
• Install the latest software updates on your electronic devices, especially the ones with security patches.
• Don’t use debit cards online and limit your use of checks since they contain your bank account information.
• Use a VPN.
• File tax returns early.
• Don’t use ATMs or card reader machines that are not actively monitored e.g. an ATM located outside of a building.

Resources

• Learn more about identity theft
• Check your free annual Credit Report
• Report ID theft to the police at 503-629-0111
• Find a recovery plan for ID theft victims

Car thieves may steal a vehicle to commit other crimes such as car prowls, use for transportation or to sell. Stolen cars may also be stripped and sold for their parts.

Thieves may break into a car by entering through an unlocked door, breaking a window or using wedges and other tools. At times, a thief may prowl a car for the contents, but finds a key left in the vehicle.

Certain model cars manufactured in the 1980s and 1990s are popular targets because thieves can open and operate the car using duplicate and ground-down keys.

More recently, some thieves have been able to hack keyless entry and start systems.

As significant percentage of car stolen are recovered.

• Do not leave your car idling even for a a few minutes.
• Lock doors, windows and the sunroof. Check your door handle to ensure that it is locked.
• Activate your vehicle security alarm.
• Do not leave spare keys or key fobs in your car. Thieves also break in for:
  • Garage door openers
  • Coins
  • Chargers, accessories for electronic devices
  • Gym bags-that may have valuables in them
  • Credit cards
  • Personal info
• Park in a locked garage when possible. If not, choose a well-lit, well-traveled place visible to you and neighbors at home and to passersby in public.
• If you have a key fob or proximity key, place it in a Faraday bag or cage (RFID-blocking) when you leave your car to thwart hacking.
• Do your research and invest in after-market security devices such as steering wheel locks, alarms, immobilizers, biometric identifiers or GPS tracking systems.

What You Can Do About Bike Theft

“When it’s inconvenient and takes time to steal your property, you’re less vulnerable to theft. The longer it takes, the more likely a thief will move on,” says Officer Brian Orth, a member of Tigard Police’s bike patrol team. This advice is useful for preventing bike theft, a crime that rises dramatically during warm-weather months.

In summer, Tigard Police respond to a significant number of thefts involving unlocked bicycles taken from the sides of homes, porches, open garages or public places. Officer Orth stopped a man who admitted to “borrowing” the bike he was riding after he found it unlocked and parked at the library. Fortunately, Orth was able to intervene and return it to the owner.

Any lock will help, but quality matters. Bike thieves are crafty and can defeat locks that are easily cut, picked, or pried open. Some of the basic prevention tips include:

• Choosing sturdy locks such as a U-lock; cable locks shouldn’t be used as a primary lock.
• Securing your bike to a strong, firmly rooted rack or fixture meant for bikes.
• Locking your bike tires to the frame and bike rack.
• Taking all removable parts, including the seat, with you or locking them up.
• Parking your bike in a well-lit and visible location where there is a lot of foot traffic.
• Documenting your serial number to improve the chances of recovery if stolen. Please use this Bike Theft Prevention Card to write down this info.

The best way to recover a stolen bicycle is to file a police report, providing accompanying photos and serial numbers for the vehicle. “If you flip the bike over, the serial numbers are on the crank shaft area. Take a picture of it or write it down,” says Orth. If you don’t have a serial number, unique features, such as stickers, handlebars, custom parts, or scratches, can help the police identify your bicycle if it’s recovered.

Some bikers sign up with private bike registration companies to keep their serial numbers and photos on file in case they are needed. Two companies that serve our area:

• Bikeindex.org
• Project529.com

If a bike is stolen, the registries broadcast the information over their networks. Users can also input a serial number to verify whether a bike is stolen, which has led to some recoveries by community members.

Officer Orth recently took a report from a resident whose bike was stolen out of an open garage. Because the victim provided his serial number on the police report, the information was timely entered into a regional and national law enforcement database. A pawnshop entered the serial number into a database that alerted the police that someone was attempting to pawn the stolen bike. Ultimately, the victim got his bike back!

Officer Orth values crime prevention and encourages neighbors to be mindful of locking up bikes, tools, doors, and windows this summer. He also asks neighbors to look out for each other. Where possible—in between calls to 9-1-1 and the non-emergency number—he tries to proactively patrol neighborhoods to keep a watch out as well.

Package theft is a constant in our community, but typically increases during the holidays as deliveries ramp up.

Here are some steps you can take to prevent package theft:

• Pick up packages at the carrier or retailer.
• Choose the option to sign for deliveries.
• Ship packages to a locker where possible.
• Track packages and ship them to a location where they can be securely received when they arrive.
• Hold off on deliveries until you return from vacation.
• Report crime and suspicious activity in your neighborhood such as someone stealing a package or trailing a delivery truck by bike or car.
  • Call 911 for immediate threats to life or property or crimes in progress.
  • If it is not an immediate threat, call the police non-emergency number at 503-629-0111. When in doubt, start with 911.

Although camera surveillance is beneficial to home security, it doesn't always deter package thieves.

To prevent mail theft:

• Choose a sturdy locked mailbox.
• Remove your mail promptly after it is delivered.
• Don't leave outgoing mail in your unlocked mailbox. Deposit during mail collection hours at a post office drop box.
• Sign up for Informed Delivery through the USPS, which allows residents to digitally preview the mail planned for delivery.
• Choose paperless options for documents containing sensitive info.
• If you plan to go out of town, place your mail on hold at www.usps.com.
• If someone appears to be tampering with a mailbox, call the police.

If your mail has been stolen:

• File a police report by calling 503-629-0111 (Washington County incidents). If there is no suspect info, you may meet the criteria for filing an online report for incidents occurring in Tigard.
• Report mail theft to the United States Postal Inspector in addition to filing a police report.

Police, fire and emergency medical responders cannot help you unless they can find your address. In an emergency, every second counts.

Look at your address from the street. Will first responders be able to see your home address during the day? How about at night? Determine whether:

• The numbers are large and clear enough to be seen from the street.
• There is enough of a contrast between the color of your numbers and the background so that they stand out.
• Landscaping or other structures are blocking the view of the numbers.
• The address plate needs to be repositioned near lighting to improve their visibility.

If we can find you, we can help you.

Report Graffiti Vandalism

• When graffiti is “occurring now”, or if you are a witness to graffiti vandalism while it is happening, call 9-1-1.
• When graffiti appears on your property, or someone else’s property, notify the Tigard Police Department by calling the non-emergency dispatch at 503-629-0111. If you would like to remove graffiti before reporting it to law enforcement, please take a photo and provide it to the officer when you file a report.

Graffiti

Graffiti means any inscription, word, figure or design that is marked, etched, scratched, drawn or painted on any surface with paint, ink, chalk, dye, other similar substance or placement of stickers or appliques, regardless of content, without authorization from the responsible party for the property.

Graffiti Removal

Research has shown that removal within 24-48 hours is effective in discouraging repeat vandalism. Graffiti, whether gang-related or not, has a negative effect on a resident’s feeling of safety in their neighborhood. It creates a perception (whether factual or not) that crime is on the rise and gangs are moving into the area. When graffiti appears and is left up indefinitely, it sends a signal that people just don’t care, which in turn attracts other forms of crime and delinquency to the neighborhood.

The City of Tigard does have a graffiti ordinance in effect under Tigard Municipal Code 6.02.060. Property owners have 14 days from the date of notice to remove graffiti from their property. Failure to remove the graffiti can result in a civil infraction for which a fine can be imposed up to $100 fine per day, until the graffiti is removed. The purpose of this ordinance is to encourage prompt removal of graffiti after the incident is reported to the Tigard Police Department. It also discourages graffiti from remaining in place for extended periods of time, which can also encourage additional graffiti. The Tigard Police Department recognizes there could be several factors for which graffiti might not be able to be removed within those 14 days and will work with the property owner to accomplish compliance.

Graffiti Prevention

If your property is targeted regularly with graffiti, consider making some changes by:

• Removing graffiti as soon as possible when it occurs
• Adding barriers or planting thorny vegetation to prevent access to vulnerable spaces
• Installing lighting
• Moving dumpsters, ladders, pallets or covering drainpipes to prevent climbing
• Using graffiti resistant coating to surfaces to make it easier to clean up
• Adding a mural or a different paint color to discourage graffiti