In the last few months, there have been incidents in the City of Santa Clara and in other regional cities where people fraudulently portraying themselves as municipal employees have victimized others. The suspects state that they are “city employees,” sometimes from the “water department,” and seek permission to gain access to the interior of a home. Once inside the home, one person distracts the resident while a second person looks for items of value.

Please note that it is rare that any City of Santa Clara employee will ask to enter your home to do work without you having requested in advance for the work to be performed .

Residents are reminded to ask for a City-issued identification card before admitting to their homes individuals who claim to be City employees. City identification cards are laminated and include the employee’s name and job title, City department, the City seal and the employee’s photograph on one side, and another photo of the employee with other information on the reverse. If the person is unable to provide this identification card, or is acting suspicious, don’t admit them to your home and call 9-1-1.

“City employees will not be offended if you ask to see identification,” said Sgt. Craig Middlekauff of the Santa Clara Police Department. “They know that residents should be vigilant about who they allow access to their homes and yards.”

During normal business hours, you can verify that the person is a municipal employee by calling the City of Santa Clara at 615-2000 or 615-3000. After normal business hours, or at anytime when you suspect suspicious activity, your Santa Clara Police Department asks that you call 9-1-1.

Prevent Crime at home, at work

October is National Crime Prevention Month, a time for everyone to think about how they can best protect their property. Here are a few suggestions from your Santa Clara Police Department:

• Keep your residence or business neat and clean, landscaping trimmed and thinned, pathways and walkways well lit, and give the appearance that someone is home even when they are not, or that the business has a vigilant owner.
• Make sure locks and locking devices work properly and are used properly.
• Mark valuable personal or business property with a designated serial number. If would-be burglars know property is marked, chances are they will not take it. It will be hard to get rid of and they will face felony charges if caught with stolen property. Both City Library branches have engraving tools available for checkout by library cardholders.
• Get to know your neighbors by starting a Neighborhood Watch Group or Business Watch Group. Learn each other’s habits. A watchful neighbor is an excellent crime deterrent. See the related article at left.
• Call the Police Department if you observe a stranger behaving in a suspicious manner such as loitering, going door to door without any purpose, or removing property from a neighbor’s residence or business in an odd way.
• In order to “harden your home” you have to “think like a burglar.” Consider how a criminal might gain access to your home and then eliminate as many vulnerable points as you can.

Free home security surveys are available from the Crime Prevention Unit. These surveys will point out weaknesses in home security and suggest possible solutions to improve security.