Crime Prevention – Tips
Burgeoning urban population, changing social values and evolving technology - various factors pose a constant challenge to Karnataka state police, in their fight against crime.
Certain simple precautions taken up by the public can go a long way in making policing more effective and reducing crime opportunities. Some of these precautions, which can be adopted by the public, are listed below. This is not an exhaustive list but an indicative one.

Personal Safety Tips for Women at Home

• Women who live alone should list only their last names and initials on their mailboxes and in the telephone directory.
• Always keep the door locked, even if you are at home and even if you leave the house for just a few minutes.
• Never open the door automatically after a knock, Ensure that strangers have identified themselves properly before allowing them to enter, Utilize a peep-hole (magic-eye) to verify identification.
• Leave the light on over the door which you will be using to enter at night. Have your key ready so that the door may be opened immediately.
• Close curtains at night.
• Never admit over the phone or to strangers that you will be alone at home.
• Lifts: If you live in an apartment building where you know most of the residents and find yourself in the lobby with a stranger, let him take the lift first and wait for it to return for you. If you are on the lift and someone’s presence makes you uneasy, get the control panel. If someone attacks, hit the alarm button and press as many buttons as you can so that lift will stop at any of several floors.
• If a stranger requests the use of your phone, do not let him enter your apartment. Place the call for him instead.

If you return home and detect evidence that someone as broken in to your domicile, do not enter the premises and do not scream. Proceed to the closest neighbor's house and phone and police from there.

Credit Card Users

• In case of losing the credit card, lodge a complaint with the bank immediately. It will enable the bank to announce it as 'hot card' as early as possible, making it possible to nab the culprit. This will also protect you from liabilities, which may be incurred using the stolen card.
• Do not write the PIN number on the card itself.
• Always check your monthly bank statements for any suspicious transactions.
• A card's magnetic strip has the basic details of the cardholder. But the card also comes with a blank space for you to sign in. You must sign on the card to avoid unauthorized use.
• Better hang around when your card is being swiped.
• Disable your credit card account if you are not using it.
• Do not store your personal and credit card information on the computer.
• Never delay to report a lost credit card as the consequences can be highly disastrous.
• Thoroughly check the authenticity of the firm, the website, or any other transactional society where your money would be flowing through.

Using an ATM

• When you type your PIN number at an ATM, make sure that you sufficiently obscure the keypad from being viewed by an onlooker.
• Make sure your privacy is not intruded while using the ATM.
• Collect the cash and count it as unobtrusively as possible.
• Keep the cash in its place before coming out of the ATM booth.
• Make sure you log out in the right sequence.
• Don't forget to collect the card from the slot.
• Do not ask for assistance from any unauthorised person.
• Do not encourage strangers who offer unsolicited advice.
• Avoid using ATMs in uncrowded places especially late night.
• When signing the bill counterfoil, after making a purchase using the credit card, make sure there are no duplicates or additional bills.

Things to do to Ensure Cyber Safety of Your Kids

• Educating your child about the internet is the most effective way of protecting them against the dangers that lurk online.
• Spent time with them to explore the internet and to introduce them to appropriate websites of their interest.
• Set the rules for internet use, limit the number of hours and times at which they can be online.
• Install both commercial and free software that create a safety system for your computer.
• Place the computer in a neutral space in the house e.g. the living room.

Vehicle Safety

• While going shopping or anywhere please park your vehicles in the vehicles parking lot.
• Don’t keep vehicles in your house compound without locking, during the night hours and don't park your vehicles outside your compound wall.
• If your vehicle is equipped with an alarm, set it every time you exit the vehicle.
• In case your vehicle is stolen, please inform the local police station as early as possible. The delay in informing will result in more crimes being committed and increase the difficulty in tracing the vehicle.
• If you notice an unattended and unknown vehicle parked for a day or more, inform the local police, beat constables or CONTROL ROOM
• When buying a used vehicle, compare the Registration number, Engine number and Chassis number with the RC book. Checkup with database of lost and found vehicle in this website.
• Try to park where there are lots of people passing, good lightning and CCTV.

Shops /Banks

• Bankers, Jewelers and shop owners are advised to fix Burglar alarm, CCTV and engage young and healthy watchmen after checking their antecedents.
• Get trained in detecting fake credit cards and counterfeit.
• Banks are advised to install hot lines with the local police stations.
• The frontage should be well lit after business hours. Do not allow tramps, paper pickers and beggars to sleep in the shop front.
• New type of Shutters (Single Piece) cannot be easily breached.

Senior Citizens

• Inform the local police station if Senior citizens are home alone for a considerable period of time.
• They are advised to exercise precaution in interacting with or taking assistance from strangers.
• Remember to call CONTROL ROOM.

Women

• Awareness:The first, and probably most important, component in self-defence is awareness: awareness of yourself, your surroundings, and your potential attacker’s likely strategies.
• Use your sixth sense: “Sixth sense” “Gut instinct” Whatever you call it, your intuition is a powerful subconscious insight into situations and people. All of us, especially women, have this gift, but very few of us pay attention to it. Learn to trust this power and use it to your full advantage. Avoid a person or a situation which does not “feel” safe–you’re probably right.
• Be alert when you are carrying a purse on the street or in a store. Use a shoulder strap model and keep it tucked between your body and your arm. Do not dangle a purse by the straps or hold a clutch-style purse just in the hand.

Children

• Teach your child to tell your name, house address and contact numbers, which will be very useful if they get lost.
• But advise them not to pass on this information to casual enquirers or over phone.
• Don't leave children alone in crowded places. For toddlers who are yet to communicate clearly, tie an identity tag/card.
• Train the children not to accept eatables from strangers, not to accompany strangers who call them on some pretext.
• Remember an exclusive WOMEN/CHILD HELPLINEis available in all the districts.

Travelling

• Ensure the luggage is latched and locked.
• Secure your luggage with a chain lock. Do not leave them unattended.
• Do not accept eatables from co-travelers.
• Do not reveal too many personal details to strangers.
• Don't wear heavy ornaments while travelling alone.
• Don't open your bag-containing valuable like cash and ornaments, while travelling in public places.

Walkers

• Early morning walkers are advised to avoid wearing valuable jewels, which will attract the snatchers.
• Please avoid walking in the dark, especially in lonely stretches.
• It's advisable for women to avoid lonely stretches even during daytime.

Job Rackets

• Be wary of advertisements or individuals offering overseas jobs. Check their antecedents.
• Check the website of the companies in which jobs promised.
• If needed do not hesitate to approach the consulate of the country.
• For emergency complaints contact the CONTROL ROOM.

How to Avoid Identity Theft
Identity Theft is a recent phenomenon. Globally, over 500,000 people are victims of this crime each year. The best protection always is prevention. Here are some tips to safeguard your good name:

• BEWARE any document that has personal financial information on it can give an identity thief a foothold into your life.
• Put the charge slip copies in a safe spot until your credit card bills arrive.
• After you've reconciled your bill, shred every statement, in­cluding credit card re­ceipts, old bank statements, medical statements, every day bills and pre-approved credit card offers.
• Write clearly on all credit applications. Consistently and completely fill in all credit and loan applications using your full name, first, middle and last. Every bill that comes to your house should be addressed exactly the same.
• Monitor your credit accounts carefully, so you'll know if a bill's missing or unauthorised purchases have been made.
• Close out unused credit cards. Cutting them up is not enough.
• Limit the number of credit cards you carry. The fewer cards you have, the easier it is to track them.
• If you're moving, contact all your creditors and update them of your address changes immediately. You don't want credit in­formation and new credit cards being delivered to the wrong address.
• If your credit card expires and you don't receive a new one, call your creditor immediately.
• Don't provide your credit card number to anyone who con­tacts you through telephone solicitation.
• Make sure any online credit card charges are handled through a secure site or in an encrypted mode. You'll know you're on a secure site if the web page on which you conduct your trans­action begins with 'https' instead of the usual 'http'.
• Only shop on websites that offer a privacy policy. Know how your personal information will be handled. Print out privacy policies, warranties, price guarantees and other important information.
• Be watchful of shoulder-surfers. At ATMs and phone booths, thieves will stand close enough to see PIN num­bers punched in by users.

Request to Keep a Watch and Report Of

• Pollution of environment.
• High noise disturbances.
• Rash / negligent / drunken driving.
• Indecent or immoral behaviour.
• Exorbitant interest on loans.
• Promise of high interest on deposits.
• Harassment and coercion.