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41 Beat

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Officers assigned to 41 Beat

Officer Vanessa Rusco
Community Policing
Beat Coordinator
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1st Shift Officer B. Norton	2nd Shift Officer J. Vallejo	3rd Shift Officer D. Artis	4th Shift Officer A. Ward

SCAT Officer Officer R. Henning  Email me here

Patrol North Bureau \ 41 Beat 3015 E. 21st Street, Wichita, KS 67214  (316)350-3400 Last modified:  February 2010   E-mail: vrusco@wichita.gov NEWS    Crime Prevention Tip of the Month   Home Security: A Look at Ways to Secure Doors Using Strike Plates and Key Control Doors There are many sizes, shapes and types of exterior doors. The security of any door depends on its construction. The Hollow Core Door is the most commonly used. It is also the least secure. It consists of a wood frame covered with a thin veneer; it is supported by cardboard arranged in a honeycomb fashion, to keep the veneer from collapsing. This type of door should be used as an interior door only. The Solid Wood Door provides good security. It is constructed entirely of heavy wood. Some doors have decorative wooden panel inserts that greatly reduce its security. The Solid Core Door provides good security. It is constructed much the same way as the hollow core door; however, the center is filled with compressed particle-type material that provides strength. The Metal Door is becoming a favorite exterior door and it provides good security. It consists of a frame covered in a 16 to 20 gauge steel covering. The center of the door is filled with compressed hard foam. Strike Plates The weakest area of many doors and locking devices is the strike plate. High security strike plates mounted with three-inch screws will strengthen the doorframe where the throw of the dead bolt meets. The three-inch screws will extend through the doorframe and secure into the stud or existing frame structure of the home. With shorter screws, the strike plate is only secured into the doorframe, which is usually constructed of soft wood that splinters easily. Deadbolt Locks The Spring Latch, key in the knob lockset, offers zero security. Known as the "credit card" or "ten second" model, is found on many homes. On exterior doors, this lock set should be an addition to the deadbolt lock. Doors leading into the home from an attached garage or from the basement should be considered an exterior door. A Single Cylinder Deadbolt lock functions with a key from the outside and thumb turn from the inside. Single cylinder deadbolts are intended to be used on solid doors with no glass within 40 inches of the lock. ____________________________________ Larcenies to Auto Larcenies to Auto continue to be one of the biggest crimes committed on 41 beat.  In reviewing the reports, it appears that way to many people are leaving valuables in the front and back seats and criminals are breaking in the cars to obtain them. Recently, there have been several Lap top computers, digital camera's, etc left out for criminals to see.  It is never a good idea to leave these things out in the open.  If you must leave them in your car, please lock them in your trunk.   It is an even better idea to take the extra few seconds to remove the items from the car and take them inside your house. Additionally, do not leave anything in the car that has your personal information on it.  Criminals will steal this information and then steal your identity   Burglaries We have recently seen an increase in shed burglaries.  We are seeing more of them in the North Riverside NA area.  Please make sure your sheds are locked and check them every couple of days to make sure they are still secure. If you see someone walking into your back yard, or your neighbors back yard, please call 911 and report the suspicious activity.  We rely on the public being our eyes and ears as to what is occuring in the neighborhood. Prostitution   If you notice strange activity that you feel is related to Prostitution, please call 911. You do not have to be contacted in person, but I would implore you to ask the dispatcher to have responding Officers contact you by phone. There can be a world of difference in our response to these type of calls if we can actually speak to the person that has observed the activity.     Graffiti Please call The Office of Central Inspection at 268-4481 for graffiti complaints and removals. If you observe graffiti in your neighborhood and would like to report it you can email keepwichitaclean@wichita.gov  and vrusco@wichita.gov .  If you have any information about the identity of anyone painting any graffiti on property that is not theirs, please report it to the Wichita Police Department. Graffiti destroys the sense of safety and ownership of your neighborhood and gives the criminals the impression that the people that live there don't care.      Here's what you can do to help: Keep an eye out for suspicious behavior, paying special attention to individuals or groups who are loitering. Improve lighting on your property, consider installing motion detector lights in order to discourage vandalism and thefts. IF YOU WITNESS AN ACT OF GRAFFITI-VANDALISM IN PROGRESS, CALL 911 AND PLEASE GIVE A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE LOCATION, SUSPECTS  AND VEHICLES.        UPCOMING NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS/EVENTS DAB 6 meets on the first Monday of every month at 6:30 PM at the Evergreen Center.  If necessary, a second meeting may be scheduled the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 PM when issues warrant. Contact Terri Dozal at 303-8041, or TDozal@Wichita.gov. Historic Midtown Citizens Association-Meets every 1st Tuesday of the month at the Midtown Community Resource Center, located at 7:00 pm @ 1150 N. Broadway. Please contact President Dan Fitzgerald at 265-7178, or Vice President Bob Pickens at 264-3245. See something that needs to be repaired or cleaned up in downtown Wichita? Click here to see whom to call to report items requiring attention. Helpful Phone Numbers:   FOR ALL EMERGENCIES PLEASE CALL 911/ PARA EMERGENCIAS MARQUE 911   Patrol North/Patrulla Norte (316)350-3400 Evergreen Neighborhood City Hall (316)303-8042 S.C.A.T. Hotline (316)267-7228 (SCAT) Office of Central Inspection (OCI) 268-4481 Environmental Services/Health Department 268-8351 Animal Control 268-8378 Emergency Accident / Minor Accident Reporting Form Online