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Solicitors
From Media Relations Coordinator Carissa Katekaru, NRH Police Department - June 24, 2019

We've noticed on our social media feeds an increase of reporting solicitor spotting. Your videos and reports to each other are quite handy in crime fighting, but did you know that solicitors in NRH are supposed to have a permit? You can check that via our website. If you find that a solicitor does not have a permit, or if they seem suspicious please report them to dispatch. We're available 24/7 to take your call 817-281-1000.

Solicitor Permit/Handbill Registration & Approved Solicitor Permits

 

Door to Door Solicitations
From NRH Police Public Information Officer — Mar 7, 2017

Today we were informed of someone representing himself as a city employee or city contractor trying to solicit work to replace residents driveways or drive approaches. City employees and our contractors do not go door to door to solicit such work.

The city reminds residents check out contractors through the Better Business Bureau before purchasing services or products. The Better Business Bureau can be contacted at 817-332-7585 or online at http://fortworth.bbb.org.

We also encourage residents to ask to see a person’s solicitors permit when they knock on your door. Each solicitor must be wearing a solicitation permit issued by the city at all times while working in North Richland Hills. The permit includes the solicitors name and photo identification, the company name and address, and the expiration date of the permit.

To report suspicious activity in your neighborhood, please call 9-1-1 or contact the North Richland Hills Police Department non-emergency line at 817-281-1000.

 

Home Security Tips

A BURGLARY happens every 14 seconds! In this area, they are usually during the day. You can lower the risk of a burglar choosing your home and help ensure they won’t be successful if they do! Here are some tips:

  • DO NOT pretend like you aren’t home when someone knocks on your door. Instead, make sure they know you ARE home. A burglar does not want to break in where there are witnesses. Police officers recommend that you call out “John/Dad etc., can you get the door? Someone is at the door!”, instead of talking to the stranger. Make sure you are within shouting distance of the door. Your children, when home alone, should learn to do the same thing. Never open your door to a stranger. Burglars pose as utility company employees or sales people to find out who isn’t home. After a time or two of knocking, they simply kick in the front door or go around back to break in. You DON’T want to be broken into while you are home!
     

  • DO consider monitored security. Statistics show that a home WITHOUT monitored security is 5 times more likely to be broken into. It’s easy to find home monitoring for under $20 a month. Burglars will spend less time in your home with monitored security. Be sure to register your home alarm with the city of NRH, as required, by paying a low annual permit fee. You can register online at www.nrhtx.com/police or call 866-950-8190.
     

  • DO NOT keep your valuables in your bedroom, that’s where they go first!
     

  • DO NOT leave your manual release chord to the garage door hanging down. A burglar can pull it open with a hanger.
     

  • DO NOT leave the door that leads from the garage into your home unlocked. Burglars know that’s what most people do!
     

  • Make sure you have a charged cell phone on at all times. If you only have a land phone available and someone cuts the line, you have no security! With cellular smart security, you can press a button on your keypad to get help live, for any emergency.

Not only will doing these things make you safer, but your insurance company may discount your home insurance for some of these as well!


Cyber Security

Protecting your Network! – A simple setup for good Network Cyber-security

Did you know that if someone connects a device to your Wi-Fi network, they may actually get direct access to all the computers and devices on your network? There are many complex software packages & expensive devices you can purchase to protect your network, but two very simple steps can give you a near impenetrable set-up. Both set-ups require that you login to your router to configure. Most routers will provide instructions on the router or in the manual. As an example, if you have AT&T U-Verse, in your browser type 192.168.1.254 where you would normally enter a web address and you will connect to your device.

  1. Stop exposing yourself. Most Wi-Fi routers are defaulted to a setting called “Broadcast”. This is why when you turn on a phone or tablet with Wi-Fi it can see your network — your device is sending out it’s SSID so anyone looking can find it. Turning off broadcast or Hiding the SSID prevents anyone from seeing your network. To connect to it now they will have to know the name & enter it manually during a set-up.
     

  2. Who can connect? Every device that connects to the internet has a unique identifier. This is called the MAC Address (Media Access Control). Every router has a setting called MAC Filtering where you can directly authorize which devices can connect to your network. The MAC address is an 8-segment number that can usually be found in a device’s settings menu. Example: 01:23:45:67:89:ab. Directly setting what devices are allowed to connect to your network will prevent any unwanted connections.


More Home Security Tips     

  • Keep grass cut and landscaping manicured.
     

  • Make sure mail, newspapers, and hand bills are picked up daily by a trusted neighbor when out of town.
     

  • Exterior lighting is an inexpensive way to secure your home. For best results, place flood lights on the eaves of your roof on all corners and driveway area of your home.
     

  • Keep garage door closed whether you're at home or not. Thieves like to steal lawn mowers and tools from garages.
     

  • Operation I.D. - Mark valuables, (i.e. TV, Video Recorder, Cameras, etc.) with an engraver.
     

  • Organize a Neighborhood Watch Program.
     


Did you know that……

  • Burglaries, auto thefts, rape, child abductions, and arson are the most prevalent crimes.
     

  • Household burglary is one of the easiest crimes to commit, but one of the hardest to solve.
     

  • More than half of police time is spent investigating burglaries.
     

  • Statistics show that in more than half of household burglaries, forced entry is not involved.
     

  • Most household burglaries occur during daylight hours.
     

  • Working neighborhood watch programs reduce crime by as much as 80%.
     

Crime Reports:

The North Richland Hills Police Department uses CommunityCrimeMap.com as a means of providing crime data to the public. With CrimeReports.com, users can access their neighborhood crime information for free, empowering them to make informed decisions to help improve the safety of their families, friends, property and the community at large. Sign up to receive automatic updates.

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