Citizens,
The following are important updates regarding weekend weather, crime alerts, and other matters of interest pertaining to public safety:
Weekend Weather:
The forecast for this weekend includes a good possibility for severe weather Saturday to include possible tornadoes, heavy rains, and hail. Please continue monitoring local tv/radio news for updates.
Criminal Activity:
We had several thefts from vehicles overnight last night in the Pendleton/Swanson Road area. The individual(s) responsible took computers, iPods, GPS units, etc. from unlocked vehicles in the area. An unlocked vehicle does not excuse the thief's actions, but it does indicate that these were crimes of opportunity that would have been prevented had the vehicles been locked. In one case, the suspects entered an opened garage to take items from the vehicle parked inside.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to keep your doors locked and all valuable items out of sight. We've had several entering auto incidents over the past several months, all of which involved unlocked cars.
Computer Virus:
It is estimated that 15 million or more computers worldwide are now infected with the con-ficker-c virus, which is lying dormant on their hard drives. The virus is scheduled to activate on April 1, 2009 which will allow it to hijack the infected systems and send personal information and other data back to the host. Several websites have information on how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of this virus. Please research this issue or speak to a reputable IT Specialist to find out how to protect yourself - we cannot recommend any particular procedure or information source for liability purposes, but this is a serious situation that we wanted to bring to your attention as it could lead to widespread identity fraud and security breahces.
Town Website:
We have been working on a 100% overhaul of tyrone.org for several months now with a goal of bringing you a more attractive and user-friendly online gateway for doing business and finding information. We expect to go live with the new site over the weekend, so make sure to keep an eye out for that.
Assistance Requested:
I was contacted by a Fairburn PD sergeant last week about the possibility of our officers working with him and officers from several other area agencies in escorting a group of elderly veterans to tour the new Infantry Museum at Ft. Benning on June 26, 2009. The idea is for each agency to find a handful of elderly veterans from their jurisdiction who would like to go and then provide transportation and a uniformed escort along with joining them on the tour and spending time with them. The only cost associated for each veteran would be an $8 admission to the IMAX film and lunch, both of which would be their responsibility.
The TPD supports this endeavor as it would allow local heroes the opportunity to experience an outstanding tribute to the sacrifices they made for us. Without transportation, officers and other volunteers on hand to assist them they might not get the chance to see it otherwise.
In support of this endeavor, I am seeking information from our citizens to include where we might find a small bus or large van to provide this transportation and I would like to know if anyone has family members or acquaintances who might be interested in going on this day trip. Any information would be greatly appreciated - please respond to my email at bperkins@tyrone.org.
The following is a link to the museum's website: http://nationalinfantryfoundation.org/home.shtml
This is a video on You Tube that shows highlights from the facility:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crKn1dmejWo&feature=player_embedded
That's all I have for now. Please remain vigilant with the weather over the next couple of days and have a great weekend.
-Chief Perkins