October 9 GRDA Weekly Report

October 9, 2018

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Protecting Yourself from Increasing Crime Trends

As the temperatures continue to trend down, so does the population that we see at the lakes and rivers. What we do see increasing this time of year is the number of property crimes, primarily burglaries that occur in the lake and river areas. As boat owners winterize their vessels and walk away from their docks, the criminal element takes advantage of the reduction in population to look for opportunities to prey on others. Thus, we historically see an increase in the number of burglaries and thefts occurring at area marinas and docks that will only increase as winter weather moves in. Now is the time to protect yourself and your property, so we offer the following tips for you to follow as you begin to move toward winterizing your property:

Many times the criminal element will case areas that they want to hit in advance, so be watchful for people that “just don’t look right”. Just because they are walking around a marina or dock with fishing gear does not mean that is what they are doing. We have already seen activity at some of the marinas where it appears that persons are lingering around at late hours of the night scoping out opportunities. If you see or hear someone around your docks that are not normally there, it is best to notify us. Follow your instincts and call police. We would rather respond to find it is nothing, than to investigate another crime. Call 911!

Surveillance cameras are a most effective tool against thieves. Not only do they act as a deterrent, but cameras can notify you and police when criminal activity is occurring. Some systems will notify you in real time! Another advantage of cameras is that the video captured by surveillance cameras are an indisputable witness and often provide authorities with the information we need to solve these crimes. This type of technology is readily available and affordable, so consider investing in this protection.

Remove your valuables from the dock and boat. Why risk the loss and offer temptation to others? If you have property on your dock or in your boat that you don’t want to replace, then take the time to remove it to safe storage when you winterize your vessel.

Keep it locked with keys removed. This may seem as obvious advice to most people, but it is surprising how many people leave the keys to their vessel in the boat or stowed away in a compartment where it only takes a little time to find. Ensure your lockers and storage closets have heavy, theft deterrent hardware and locks.

Document your property, especially if you can’t take it with you. Police are rarely able to return property recovered from a theft if we can’t identify who the property belongs to. The best way to do this is to take the time to record the model and serial numbers for your valuables. All it takes is a little time.

Photograph your valuables. There is no better way to document your valuables than through photos of the items, and include photos of the model and serial numbers that you can save on a thumb drive in a safe place, just in case.

Thieves like to strike under the cover of darkness to elude detection. Lights deter, so keep your dock and property well lit at night. Motion lights add that extra bit of security by convincing the “bad guys” to move on to a place that is not as well protected, and will also alert you and your neighbors as to any suspicious activity. Solar powered motion lights are an easy solution for those areas where there is no electricity.

Watch for your neighbors. Get to know those that live close to you, what cars they drive, who belongs at their house, when they are gone, and how to contact them. The best deterrent to crime is the watchful eyes of those that live near the area being targeted.

Every night by 9 PM, make it a habit to check your home, garage, cars, and property to ensure that all is locked and ready for the night.

Rest assured that GRDA Police will continue to invoke preventative measures to reduce losses throughout the coming winter months. But, the most effective way for you to reduce your risk of becoming a victim of a crime is to take the proactive steps to reduce the likelihood that thieves will target your property.

Operation Dry Water

Eco Courtesy Dock Closed

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The GRDA courtesy dock at Eco will be closed for use through November. Access to the area has been closed with fencing and barricades

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Work on the shoreline below the Eco Center continued to progress this week as GRDA personnel installed rip rap on the shoreline

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Work on the shoreline below the Eco Center continued to progress this week as GRDA personnel installed rip rap on the shoreline

In order to facilitate a shoreline stabilization project near the Ecosystems and Education Center, the Grand River Dam Authority is announcing that the courtesy dock located on Grand Lake, just behind the center in Langley, will be closed temporarily. Because of the presence of heavy equipment in the area, it is necessary to close the dock and the access path to allow the work to proceed safely. GRDA anticipates the project will be completed in late November.

Did You Know?

True or False: The nighttime speed limit on GRDA lakes is 35 mph.

Answer: False. GRDA regulations require that boaters operate vessels at a speed of no more than 25 mph from one-half hour after sunset till one-half hour before sunrise.

Helpful Information

Neosho River Flood Warning Issued

The National Weather Service in Tulsa has issued a Flood Warning for The Neosho River near Commerce from Wednesday morning until further notice, or until the warning is cancelled.

At 8:30 AM Monday, the stage was 4.24 feet. Flood stage is 15.0 feet. Moderate flooding is forecast.

Safety Education Programs

"Updates" on the Web

Did you not receive our latest GRDA Update? Do you have a friend that wants to see our Updates? You can now go to our website at GRDA.com to view the latest edition of GRDA Police Updates. Go to the Lakes/River tab, open the GRDA Police tab and click on the GRDA Police Update for the latest version of our email release.

Visit our website for GRDA Police Updates

Boating Tips From the GLSPS

Protect your boat and its contents from theft. Most law enforcement officers agree on three things that criminals try to avoid:

Time- the longer it takes, the more likely they are to get caught.

Light- They do not want to be seen and possibly identified.

Noise- They try to avoid alarm systems and/or calling attention to themselves by making noise.

Good locks require more time and difficulty. The best locks are stainless steel and use tube-type keys. Be careful with combination locks and always set the numbers the same (0000) so that only those numbers will become tarnished and not give the thief the real combination. Boat trailers should always be locked. There several types available to make theft more difficult.

Lighting should include the outside of a boat at night plus cruisers can add a cabin light on timers. Always make sure the lights are safe to prevent a fire hazard.

Noise can consist of simply using a radio to suggest someone is around. The best is a professional alarm system with motion detectors that can sound an alarm and possibly turn on security lights too. Many of the newer systems are easy for a novice to install.

NAV TIME

A Summary of Boating Laws, Navigation Regulations & Tips

That All Boat Operators Should Know

PWC Courtesy When

Encountering Other Vessels

Jumping the wake of a passing boat, or riding too close to another PWC or boat, creates risks and is restricted or even prohibited in some states. The vessel making the wake may block the PWC operator’s view of oncoming traffic and also conceal the PWC operator from approaching vessels.

Excessive noise from PWCs often makes them unwelcome with other vessel operators and people on shore. Be a courteous PWC operator.

Vary your operating area, and do not keep repeating the same maneuver.
Avoid congregating with other PWC operators near shore, which increases annoying noise levels.
Avoid making excessive noise near residential and camping areas, particularly early in the morning.
Avoid maneuvers that cause the engine exhaust to lift out of the water because that increases noise levels.
Do not modify your engine exhaust system if it increases the noise. Improperly modified exhausts will not make your PWC faster and may raise the noise to an illegal level.