Holiday Crime Prevention Tips

Blue Armor Security, Finesilver Ranch's security contractor, provides several holiday crime prevention tips for your car, home, and family. The FSR Safety Committee will post them here over the coming weeks.

According to Detective Willie Ng, SAPD and Chief, Blue Armor Security Services, Inc., "always be aware of your surroundings and never be too busy to be cautious, especially during the holiday season."

First, Detective Ng offers these tips to ensure a secure environment around your car:

• Avoid leaving packages, bags, gifts, etc. in plain view in your vehicle. All merchandise should be placed in the trunk or underneath a blanket on the floor when the vehicle is left unattended.
• Park in well lighted areas and be aware of your surroundings.
• Don’t walk to your vehicle alone; instead, ask for a security or store clerk escort if you feel there are suspicious people near your vehicle.
• Avoid parking near suspicious vehicles such as vans, trucks with camper shells or heavily tinted vehicles.
• Always lock your vehicle and never leave the motor running or children and pets unattended.
• Immediately remove all purchases from your vehicle when returning home.

Future posts will include more holiday crime prevention tips. Happy holidays!

October 2008 Safety Committee Report

FSR Vehicles Burglarized

At least five vehicles were burglarized in Finesilver Ranch overnight 15 - 16 October. The Safety Committee plotted the incident locations and informed SAPD community policing officers, Blue Armor Security, and FSR's Cellular on Patrol. Blue Armor and COP increased vigilance during the nights following the burglaries.

This is the second multi-vehicle burglary incident to occur in Finesilver Ranch since December 2007. The modus operandi is the same...quick "smash and grab" tactics were used with easily removable electronics the most popular items stolen.

See other posts in this blog, Map Depicts 2006-2008 Burglaries and

Vehicle Burglaries Reported, Early 16 Oct for more information. The Safety Committee will compile a comprehensive recap of the incident later this month.

Number of FSR Traffic Accidents Increasing

According to SAPD dispatch records and other sources, there have been seven crashes at the intersection of Braun and Finesilver since January 2006. Five of these occurred since March of this year -- two during October alone, on the 17th and 25th.

Association Management Services, the Finesilver Ranch property manager, contacted Councilman Rodriguez' staff and San Antonio Public Works. A traffic engineer determined the best solution for the intersection is to add turn lanes on Braun Rd. Traffic signals are not recommended due to the proximity of existing signals at Tezel and Silverbrook. A signal at the Finesilver intersection may also increase the risk of rear-end collisions on Braun Rd.

The Safety Committee will continue to monitor reports of collisions, update the board and the community, and work with the appropriate agencies to improve safety at the intersection.

FSR Celebrates National Night Out on Crime

The Safety and Social Committees joined forces this year to encourage maximum participation in the National Night Out, 7 October. Blue Armor, FSR Cellular on Patrol, and San Antonio FD visited the nine block parties held throughout FSR. The Safety Committee handed out over 100 child safety and fingerprinting pamphlets to revelers; several pamphlets were also distributed by Social Committee members during the Fall Festival the following weekend.

Cellular on Patrol

Certified volunteers began COP patrols during October, using the National Night Out celebration to re-introduce the volunteer service. Eleven two-person patrols were conducted this month.

Four patrols were conducted during and immediately after Halloween festivities to promote safe "trick or treating" and to encourage an appropriate conclusion to the evening. The COP also staffed the front gate during two 1-hour shifts to ensure youth visitors were accompanied by adults. There were very few "out of town" guests. A total of 10 COP trained residents participated during Halloween alone.

During routine patrols throughout October, the COP noted six garage doors open after 11:00 pm and notified appreciative residents.

Blue Armor Patrol Summary

Officers conducted special emphasis patrols 16 - 17 October in response to vehicle burglaries. Also, Blue Armor continued traffic safety emphasis during four shifts this month. Five stop sign and three speed citations were written. Officers also cited two abandoned vehicles.

On 13 October, Blue Armor responded to a homeowner request to remove a vehicle blocking a driveway. The parking problem was apparently resolved before the officer's arrival.

On 30 October at approximately 1:00 am, an officer observed a suspicious person at a resident's closed garage door. The officer identified the person as the homeowner changing a garage door opener battery.

SAPD Responses

SAPD responded to 14 calls for service within FSR during October. The typical call volume for the neighborhood averages 15 per month overall, and police responded to merely six calls during October last year.

Online dispatch records indicate only one vehicle accident at Braun Rd and Finesilver, despite eyewitness accounts to the contrary. The Safety Committee logged two accidents at the intersection during October. Also, apparently only four of the five known FSR vehicle burglaries were reported to SAPD.

In other activity, SAPD recorded a report of criminal mischief on Boundbrook, a disturbance, one presumably false hold-up alarm, a suspicious vehicle on Fringewood, and four "miscellaneous" responses. Police also responded to a sick or injured party near Ferris Creek and Finesilver.

The Greenbriar neighborhood near Nichols ES recorded three SAPD responses: A burglar alarm, a minor accident, and one miscellaneous call.

Greenbriar, though much smaller than Finesilver Ranch (approximately 70 homes to FSR's 392 homes) is the closest gated community and, presumably, has similar demographics for crime reporting comparison purposes.

Sex Offender Watch

As of this post, no documented sexual predators reside in FSR.

SAFD Responses

Firefighters made one medical call and a residential alarm during October.

Return to the FSR Safety Blog for updates throughout the month.

Map Depicts 2006-2008 Burglaries

The FSR Safety Committee created a map depicting vehicle and home burglary locations as reported to SAPD dispatchers January 2006 through October 2008. The map plots reported crime locations only and does not represent the outcomes of official investigations.

The dark blue "pin" icons reflect the spate of vehicle burglaries which occurred January 9, 2006.

The red pins indicate vehicle burglaries reported overnight December 17, 2007 and green marks the locations of last month's vehicle burglaries on October 16.

The light blue or turquoise pins indicate single incidents of vehicle break-ins reported over the three year period, while the house icons point to individual home burglaries (including the community center) also reported 2006 to date.

Significantly the graphic reveals last month's vehicle burglaries (green) occurred throughout Finesilver Ranch, indicating the burglars had time to case most of the neighborhood. This is a change from the 2006 and 2007 incidents (blue and red respectively) when thieves seemed focused on one side of FSR at a time.

The information was provided to SAPD community policing officers, Blue Armor officials, and Cellular on Patrol neighborhood watch members. Unfortunately, there is slim likelihood of catching thieves in the act. The Safety Committee's stance echoes the SAPD position: The best guards against vehicle burglaries are to raise community awareness of the threat, to present an active, involved network of neighbors to ward off criminal elements, and to remove valuables from vehicles if they must be parked outside.

SAPD reminds San Antonians of their vulnerability to such crimes, regardless of where they live, work, shop, eat, or play with this straightforward motto: "Leave it, lose it."