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NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH NEWSLETTER |
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| Edition 5 | Grand Bay-Westfield NB RCMP Post | June 30, 2001 |
| NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH MEMBERS HELP CATCH WANTED PERSON
Proof that the Neighbourhood Watch program is successful is as close as next door. In November 2000, the RCMP received information from residents in Jones Creek that particular individuals who had recently moved into the area were behaving suspiciously. Specifically, neighbours did not notice any criminal activity, yet they were suspicious because the couple in their mid-20’s did not fit the profile of area residents; they were not originally from the area, they did not have family in the area and it did not appear that they were drawn to the area by employment. Inquiries by the RCMP determined that one of the couple was unlawfully at large – there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest. After a period of surveillance, the RCMP obtained the appropriate warrant to search the home. Subsequently, both individuals were apprehended and placed in the justice system to answer charges. THANK YOU FROM THE WESTFIELD VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICEOn behalf of the members
of the Westfield Volunteer Ambulance, I would like to thank all those
residents who have purchased their blue civic address number signs.
By placing this sign in a location that can be seen from all
directions, emergency service providers can find your home
immediately. For those who do not have signs, precious moments
are lost trying to find the right house and this delay could be the
difference between life and death for you or your loved one. The
price of $8 for one sign or $15 for two signs is a very small price to
pay in comparison to what you could lose if we cannot find you.
If you have not already done so, please purchase your sign. Help
us to help you. RABIES REPORTED IN SOUTHERN NB There have been several cases of the raccoon strain of rabies reported in the St Stephen area and it is likely to be in our area soon. This strain of rabies is known to infect animals such as skunks, foxes, groundhogs, as well as domestic animals such as cats and dogs. The bat strain of rabies has been present in NB for many years. Rabies is a disease caused by a virus that attacks the central nervous system of warm-blooded mammals. It can be spread to humans by their pets, if pets have been exposed to the saliva of infected animals. It can also be spread directly to humans through contact with infected wildlife such as raccoons, skunks and foxes. Symptoms of possible infection in wild animals include unusual behaviour such as a lack of fear of humans, an unstable gait, restlessness or aggressiveness. According to the NB chief medical officer, the best protection against rabies is for people to avoid wild, stray and abnormally behaving animals. Pet owners should ensure their animals are vaccinated against rabies to protect the health of their pets and safety of their families. Call toll-free 1-877-3-RABIES to get more information or report any incidents of abnormal behaviour in pets or animals. GOING AWAY TO THE COTTAGE? Several precautions should be taken when you leave your home to go to the lake or away camping. Don’t forget to notify your block captain, neighbours or the RCMP that you will be away. Ask them to check on your property regularly and leave a phone number where you can be reached. Stop newspaper deliveries. Ask your neighbours to pick up mail and flyers and to occasionally park their car in your driveway. You should also make arrangements to have your lawn mowed. CONSUMERS CONTINUE TO FALL FOR THE MOST COMMON TELEPHONE SCAMSThe Better Business Bureau receives thousands of telephone-related complaints each year. And, despite repeated warnings consumers are still falling prey to the most common telephone frauds. Such as: Slamming: You’ve been “slammed” when your phone service has been switched without your consent. The slammer falsely claims that you have agreed to change your service provider and asks your local phone company, which performs the actual switch, to make the change. Cramming: You’ve been “crammed” when charges for miscellaneous services that you never agreed to buy have been added to your phone bill. Some examples are phone-related services, such as voice mail, paging, or personal 800 numbers. But you might also find charges for other types of services on your bill, such as Internet access and club memberships. These charges might appear on your bill once, or they might occur on every bill - a good reason to closely examine at each monthly bill before you pay it. Collect Call Scams: Some fraudulent companies attempt to charge consumers for pay-per-call services by masquerading as collect calls. Once the call is accepted the person typically hears a recorded message offering some type of service or soliciting for a so-called charity. Some consumers have been charged excessive rates for these types of collect calls, even though they refused to accept them. Calling card fraud: When using a phone in public areas - an airport, a train station, a pay phone on the street - someone may be looking over your shoulder to see the account number and PIN number that you dial. Once they have these numbers, they can use them to make calls on your account or sell them to others for that purpose. Pay-per-call abuses: Information and entertainment provided by pay-per-call services are accessed through 900 numbers, some 800 numbers and even some international numbers. Dishonest pay-per-call service providers don’t disclose, or they misrepresent, the cost of their services. You may be tricked into dialing pay-per-call services by following instructions to punch in a “personal activation code” that actually connects you to a pay-per-call line, or you may be switched to a pay-per-call line without knowing it. How can you avoid these types of scams? The Better Business Bureau, along with the National Consumers League, suggest the following:
Better Business Bureau, July 2000 |
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