Millvale Police Department

As Mayor of Millvale one of my duties is to work closely with the police department, our skilled officers have asked me to pass along a few tips’ to avoid any unwanted problems.

“VEHICLES OF OPPORTUNITY”

This is the time of year our police tend to see an increase in stolen vehicles. The main problem is because of cold temperatures, snow and frost people start their vehicle and then return to their house to finish their morning ritual. This is a major problem, as it only takes seconds for a thief to enter your vehicle and speed off. Criminals are aware that many people leave their running vehicles unattended and in turn wake up early they to walk the streets looking for a vehicle of opportunity. Another problem is people leaving their automobile running while trying to rush into a store. Even if you can see your vehicle a criminal walking by has an excellent opportunity to steal your vehicle, the next thing you know you are chasing your vehicle down the road. So remember always keep your vehicle locked, and avoid letting your vehicle run while unattended, also always keep a copy of your vehicle registration card inside your residence.

“THEFTS FROM VEHICLES”

Thefts from vehicles are becoming a major problem throughout Allegheny County and beyond. Thieves are aware of new technologies such as ON-STAR and other recovery systems and are therefore less likely to attempt to steal a vehicle containing a recovery system. Criminals are now turning their attention to stealing items within the vehicles, loose change, GPS units, DVD players, cellular phones, ipods, CD’s and laptop computers are items if left in the open will draw a criminals attention. Remember to lock your vehicle, put all valuables in a glove box or hide them under your seats, you can also lock valuables in your trunk. If you have a radio with a removable faceplate, REMOVE IT, that’s what it, was designed for. Most importantly never leave your purse or wallet unattended for any amount of time in a vehicle, a criminals' greatest accomplishment is to steal cash and credit cards, use this advice and do not give a thief the opportunity.

“RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES”

The day of leaving your doors unlocked are gone forever! Your HOME is sacred, whether you rent or own your HOME contains treasured mementos, important documents, money, checks and credit cards. If your home is burglarized it will leave you feeling helpless and violated, you will also not feel safe in your home, but you can avoid this by taking precautions. If you can afford an alarm system, you should, criminals are less likely to attempt to break in to a home that they know is alarmed. If you cannot afford an alarm take the following steps to secure your HOME:

Leave lights or the television on when you leave.
Tell your local police department to conduct a house watch if you are going on vacation.
Purchase heavy duty locks for your doors and windows.
Cut a broom handle or dowel rods (3/4 inch thick) into sections and place them in the tracks of windows, sliding glass doors or bracing a door. This is a great inexpensive way to secure doors and windows.
You can purchase an inexpensive window film that will prevent glass from shattering. The film can prevent accidental injuries, property theft, threats of violence or extreme weather damage to your home.
Mix up your schedule, do not have a daily routine. Criminals watch for people with routines noting when they leave and for how long.
Never open your door for someone you don’t know, ask questions while the door is closed and ask for identification.

Lastly, the 911 system is in place for your safety, whether it is an emergency or not, do not hesitate to call 911. Please call to report any criminal or suspicious activity, inform the operator that you are not reporting an emergency if you feel it is not. one Their have been many times that Chief Miller or myself have been stopped by a resident to report a suspicious activity that occurred last evening, all to often we then find out a residence was burglarized or another crime occurred which could have been prevented. In addition to calling 911 to report a criminal activity you can also call 412.473.3056.

Pleas contact Detective Koenig (412.821.3410 x23) for any drug activity or if you can give information on crimes that have occurred. Anyone who calls with a tip will remain anonymous.

Chief Miller is available to answer questions, complaints or to obtain reports, Monday – Friday, 7 am – 3 pm, call to setup an appointment (412.821.3410 x1).