Keep these safety suggestions in mind as we get closer to Christmas and New Years:

Home Safety:

• Be extra cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave the house, even if you will only be gone for a minute.
• Don’t put large displays of holiday gifts in view of your windows or doors.
• When going on trips or out for evenings, use automatic timers to turn indoor lights on and off to make it appear you are home. Motion detecting lights outside can also be effective.
• Do not pack your car the night before a trip. It only makes a more attractive target for a thief.
• Leave a radio or television on so the house looks and sounds occupied.
• Always keep security lights on at night. Check batteries and bulbs to make certain your security lights are functioning properly.
• Immediately after the holidays, make a list of new Christmas gifts. Document, make, model and serial numbers. There is a form available on our website to walk you through this.
• Don’t advertise what you got for Christmas by putting the boxes out on trash day. Break the boxes down or take them to the dump yourself.

Shopping Safety:

• Consider taking all items of high value back to your residence: money, jewelry, TV, VCR, stereo, computer.
• If you choose to leave items of high value, make sure that you have recorded the serial number. It is recommended that you mark or engrave your driver’s license number on the items.
• Have your car keys ready in hand before leaving the store.

Holiday Crime Prevention Tips for the Workplace:  

• All inner office doors and building exterior doors should be closed and locked. DO NOT prop open an exterior door if working after hours.
• If you come in to work during the holiday, let someone know where you are and when you are expected to return.
• All portable equipment, tools, PC computers should be secured or locked away.
• Make sure all windows are closed and secure.
• All valuable personal items should be taken home or securely locked away.
• Report any suspicious activity or unauthorized personnel immediately to a local law enforcement agency.

East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office

(225) 389-5000

Baton Rouge Police Department

(225) 389-2000

• Shop early and leave early to avoid darkness.
• Lock packages in the trunk or somewhere out of view.
• Don’t overload yourself with packages.
• If you must shop in the evening, shop with a friend, there is safety in numbers.
• Park in well-lit areas, as close as possible to store entrances. Be particularly aware of persons in the parking lot, especially near your car.
• Lock your car and make sure the windows are closed.
• Remove all valuables or secure them out of sight. (Example) purse, money, jewelry, cellular phones.
• Carry only the charge cards you will need. Don’t carry or flash large sums of cash.
• Protect your pin numbers when using your debit, and credit cards.
• Carry your purse next to your body with the purse flap against you. Men should carry their wallets in front or inside pockets.
• Be aware of your surroundings and the people around you. Don’t allow your attention to become distracted from your purse or packages.
• Teach children to go to a store clerk or security guard and ask for help if you become separated in a store or shopping mall.
• Don’t hesitate to notify store security if you see suspicious activity. If you have to wait for a ride, wait in a busy, well-lit place.
• If you are a victim of a crime, report it to authorities immediately.

Sheriff Sid Gautreaux and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office will be
increasing patrols beginning this past Friday November 27th to ensure
everyone’s safety this holiday season. Extra patrols will continue
throughout December until after the New Year.

Extra patrols will include uniform patrol deputies and plain clothes
detectives. Areas of concentration will include commercial, residential
and high traffic areas.

“We feel that increasing patrols around the parish, particularly in
shopping and high traffic areas, will decrease the incidents of crime,”
Sheriff Gautreaux said. “That way we can all concentrate on having safe
and happy holidays.”

The Sheriff’s Office also has a message for those thinking about
criminal activity. The Sheriff’s Office has several vehicles that will
be placed all over the parish, baited to entice a criminal. So, if a
criminal is thinking about committing a burglary, they should be
forewarned, deputies are watching.

The Sheriff’s Office is also asking that residents play a role in
protecting themselves against crime, particularly theft. Below is a list
of things that residents can do to protect themselves:

SHOPPING

1)      While Shopping

a.      When parking a vehicle, attempt to park in a well lit area.

b.      Keys should never be left in an unoccupied vehicle, nor should a
vehicle ever be left running while not occupied.

c.      Vehicle doors should always be locked when unoccupied.

d.      Valuables should be locked in the trunk or removed from the
vehicle when possible.

e.      Any vehicle equipped with an alarm or anti-theft device should
have the device activated when unoccupied.

2)      Walking to your car

a.      Keys in hand

b.      Purses on your person should be carried by the way of shoulder strap or holding
the purse in their hand.

c.      Be aware of your surroundings, people around you etc. Report any
suspicious persons or vehicles to law enforcement immediately.

d.      Try to avoid walking alone, especially at night.

3)      Once at Car

a.      Valuable items should be kept out of view from public access as
items easily observed invite crimes of opportunity. Put them in the
trunk or somewhere out of sight.

YOUR HOME

1)       Any residence with an alarm should have the alarm activated
when unoccupied. The residence should also have posted signs or window
decals indicating that it is protected by an alarm system.

2)       When a planned absence from the residence occurs, mail and
newspaper deliveries should be stopped.

3)       Residents should cooperate with neighborhood watch programs
when established. If a neighborhood watch program is not in effect, the
neighborhood association should contact EBRSO and establish one.

4)      Motion detection lighting can be used on the exterior of the
residence.

5)       All locks should be activated when the residence is unoccupied
or when residents retire for the night.

6) Windows that can be observed from public access should have drapery
or blinds drawn to prevent valuables from being observed.

In the event you are a victim of burglary, the best way to increase your
chances of getting stolen items back, is by documenting them. That way,
if law enforcement recovers them, they will know they are yours. You can
do this by visiting our website at www.ebrso.org <http://www.ebrso.org>
and downloading the form.

For more information on vehicle theft and theft prevention, please our
website.

Incident : Armed Robbery
11/12/2009
Location: 13900 Block of Leanne
Incident Date &amp; Time: November 11, 2009, 6:50pm
File Number: 09-80062
Investigator: Deputy J. Lambert

On November 11, 2009 deputies were dispatched to a Florida Boulevard address in
reference to an Armed Robbery which occurred at the above listed location. The
victim advised that he was delivering oxygen for his company when a black male
approached him and tapped on his vehicle window. When the victim rolled down his
window the black male produced a silver and black semi-automatic handgun and told
him to give him his belongings. The victim surrendered his wallet containing two
credit cards and his Touch Phone.
The suspect was described as being approximately 5′8″-5′10″, 160 pounds, 18-20 years
of age, dark complexion, braided hair wearing blue jeans and a white Southern
University T-shirt. The subject left on foot in an unknown direction.
Anybody with information concerning this incident is asked to contact the Sheriff’s
Office at 389-5000 or Crime Stoppers at 344-7867.

Tuesday evening, the EBR Sheriff’s Dept made three arrests in a series of burglaries in the Crystal Place subdivision off of Denham Rd.  Two adults and one juvenile were
arrested in conjunction with four house burglaries that recently occurred in the
subdivision.  Much of the stolen merchandise was recovered. Thanks again to the EBR Sheriff’s Department for their continued hard work and dedication.

The EBR Sheriff’s Department conducted a traffic safety checkpoint on Wax Road at East Brookside Drive (in front of Central High School) on Thursday, September 24. During the checkpoint from 7 PM to 2 AM, the following occured:

EBR Sheriff’s Deputies screened 1118 cars. They wrote 113 tickets for miscellaneous traffic violations. They made 8 arrests, 2 of which were warrants, and 2 were DWIs. The Sheriff’s office stored 6 vehicles and took 13 license plates for cars with no insurance.

Additional checkpoints are planned for Central in the future.

Baton Rouge City Police have arrested a 26-year-old man for a string of burglaries and thefts across East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes, a police spokesman said in a release.
Tyler Hood, 12121 Blackwater Road, is suspected in more than 30 offenses in Baton Rouge, Baker, Central, Zachary, suburban East Baton Rouge Parish and Denham Springs, Sgt. Don Kelly said in a news release.
Hood is believed to have stolen portable generators, lawn equipment, tools, pressure washers, gas cans and other items, mostly from under carports and in sheds, Kelly said.
Detectives have recovered more than $10,000 worth of stolen property, he said. Hood was booked into Parish Prison on four counts of felony theft and one count of burglary. He is also facing multiple counts from other agencies.

On Saturday, September 12, deputies were dispatched to the Burger King on Greenwell Springs Rd. in reference to an armed robbery. While questioning the victim, Joshua Rogers, who is an employee of Burger King, detectives suspected his story of the events that occurred didn’t seem right. He advised that while he was taking out garbage, a Hispanic male put a gun to him and forced him back inside where he robbed him of the money in the cash register and safe. During further questioning, Rogers admitted that he and two other subjects set up the robbery and that it was a fake robbery. Detectives upon further investigation identified the two subjects as Sherman Edwards and Darrell Jeansonne. All three subjects were charged with armed robbery, and Edwards was additionally charged with resisting an officer and had a simple burglary warrant from the Baton Rouge Police Department.

On Friday, September 11, two houses in the Denham Road area were burglarized. The EBR Sheriff’s Office sent 25 units to block off Denham Road near Hubbs Road. The 4 suspects ran into the woods, where they were caught by the Sheriff’s Office after hours of searching.

On September 8, 2009, an East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputy with School Drug Task Force was called by school officials to Central High School at 10200 E. Brookside in reference to a student who was threatening to bring a firearm to school.

Upon arrival, the deputy spoke to school officials that advised that a senior student allegedly made the statement in class that he would bring a gun to school to “shoot up the school.” After conducting an investigation, Saia was placed under arrest for the crime of Terrorizing.

He was booked into prison that day with a $50,000 bond. He bonded out on the 10th after meeting the stipulations set forth by the Judge.

“It’s important that young people understand that we will treat these kinds of threats very seriously,” Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said. “If students hear another student make a violent threat, it is so important that they notify a trusted adult immediately. This can prevent a threat from becoming a reality.”