MPD urges safety preparation for summer

Local law enforcement offered advice to the community Saturday on remaining safe and secure as summertime approaches in Arizona.

Maricopa Police Chief Steve Stahl along with MPD Detective Daniel Rauch engaged members of the community on a variety of topics at the Copper Sky Police Substation, most aimed at preparing residents for summer time in the valley.

During a presentation named “Safe Guarding your Property and Yourself During Summer,” Rauch reminded residents to continue to use common sense approaches to protect themselves in everyday life such as locking car doors, hiding valuables and reporting suspicious activity.

Rauch’s advice, however, went beyond the typical precautions and offered seasonally important advice such as staying hydrated, planning outdoor activities in such a way that others are aware of your location and always bringing a cell phone.

With the heat comes the will to cool off, he said, thus residents should also be alert and cautious when children or people with special needs are in or near pools or large bodies of water.

With school soon to be out of session, Rauch reminded residents to remain vigilant but to also remember school-aged children will be out and about and that not everything they do should be considered criminally suspicious.

Rauch also advised homeowners who may be going away on vacation or who relocate seasonally to install security lights and maybe even consider planting thorny bushes and plants under windows to make it more difficult to access.

The idea, he said, is to “make yourself less attractive” to would-be thieves.

MPD also emphasized its security camera registration system, which would allow them to know exactly where security cameras may exist so they can utilize the footage to help solve crimes. If more residents registered their cameras, Stahl said, MPD wouldn’t have to waste time and resources going door to door asking if nearby residents had surveillance footage of crimes.

Another topic of conversation was the recently passed “Good Samaritan” law, which in will allow Arizonans more freedom to act in the event they find an animal or person locked in a hot vehicle.

The law dictates citizens may break into a vehicle so long as it is “justified” and the acting individual can reasonably explain why they did it. The law also says that person must make a reasonable attempt to find and notify the owner of the vehicle. To that, Stahl said its best to “use caution all the time.”

“I wouldn’t want it to be the first reaction,” Stahl said. “First, call 911.”