Area Crime Watch Keeping our Residents Informed

Hey everyone, just wanted to send out a quick e-mail about the possibility of an increase in car break-ins. We usually see an a slight increase in car break-ins as the weather gets warmer. What we need from you is to be extra diligent in ensuring that you are taking valuables out of your vehicles at night and securing your cars. Please try and refrain from leaving briefcases (even if empty), purses, I-Pads, I-touches, I-pods, wallets, luggage, GPS, cell phones, or laptops out of plain view of the passenger area of your vehicle over night. Also make sure you are closing your garage doors at night as well.

In addition to not leaving these items in your vehicle over night, please don’t leave them in your car while out for lunch or dinner. If you use the Greenways in our area, please follow the same rules. We know that once the shopping centers and Greenways start experiencing a heavier than normal vehicular traffic pattern, it increases the chances of car break-ins.

Thanks for helping us keep our crime statistics low over the upcoming months!

Officer P.M. Grant, South Division,
Response Area 2 Community Coordinator
8050 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 100, Charlotte, NC, 28226
pgrant@cmpd.org, (704) 544-4835

In the past month and a half we have seen a spike in packages being stolen from residents front porches. During the course of our investigation we had reason to believe that the suspect lived in one of the surrounding neighborhoods along the Ardrey Kell corridor. Based on this information we were hesitant to forward out too much information to our communities so as to increase the chances of us apprehending the suspect. We knew from the past reports that the suspect was only operating in a select few neighborhoods.

Working with FedEx and UPS, we were able to narrow down the areas in which the suspect was stealing the packages from and set up a reverse sting operation. During the course of the operation, we apprehended the suspect on October 18, 2011. Photos and information are as follows:

Sec. 6-438 Restricted hours in residential areas.
It shall be unlawful to peddle any article of merchandise from any vehicle or on foot between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. in areas zoned for residential purposes within the corporate limits. However, during such periods that daylight saving time is in effect, these hours shall be from 9:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. (Code 1985, § 6-28)

BBB Warning: Door-to-Door Magazine Sales Crews Invade Charlotte Neighborhoods ....
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Better Business Bureau today issued a warning to homeowners to watch out for door-to-door magazine sales representatives. In the past few days, sales representatives from The Harvest Group (BBB grade F) have knocked on doors at hundreds of homes in south Charlotte - including two BBB employees - generating complaints to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department and calls to the BBB.

During spring and summer months, companies send groups of young people throughout the country selling magazines door-to-door. Complaints about magazine sales groups focus on non-delivery of the magazines purchased. "Some of these companies are legitimate," said BBB President Tom Bartholomy, "but other companies have generated so many complaints that the BBB has labeled door-to-door magazine sales as a "highly-suspect" industry." These crews are sent to communities to sell magazines, often without appropriate licensing. The BBB has confirmed that each door-to-door sales representative needs to have a "privilege license" required for "peddlers" to solicit business in the City of Charlotte or Mecklenburg County. These young people are taught how to use high pressure tactics and emotional sales pitches. They may explain that they are working to get their lives back on track, raising money on behalf of a charity or for a school trip, or even selling subscriptions to support troops in Iraq."These emotion-based sales pitches are effective," added Bartholomy, "but not usually true."

On Thursday, April 14, two young men from Oklahoma, who were working for The Harvest Group, came to Maryanne Dailey's south Charlotte home asking her to buy magazines or give them money. They stated that The Harvest Group was a BBB Accredited Charity. What they didn't know is that Dailey works as the BBB's Charity Analyst. "I knew they were lying," said Dailey, "because national charities have to be accredited with the local BBB in order to solicit money locally." Dailey called the police.

On Saturday, April 16, a young woman from The Harvest Group came to Janet Hart's southeast Charlotte home. "She said she was from Charlotte, and that The Harvest Group was helping her turn her life around," Hart said. "Then, she asked me to buy magazines," Hart added, "when I refused, she begged for money and claimed that my "neighbors" were helping out." Hart reviewed the list of individuals who had allegedly made purchases or contributions. "None of the streets were in my subdivision."

Hart, who also works for the BBB, challenged her story as being false. "I said I know that everything you have told me is a lie. You are not from Charlotte. You were recruited in another state and dropped off here with a van load of other people to go door-to-door selling magazines, right?" The young woman said yes, and admitted that she was from Cleveland, Ohio. Hart then called the police.

On Monday, April 18, an officer with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department called the BBB to inquire about The Harvest Group. He was responding to a call about a young man from Texas who was going door-to-door in another southeast Charlotte subdivision, and who claimed that The Harvest Group was accredited by the BBB. Ironically, Janet Hart was the BBB employee who took the call, and she confirmed that The Harvest Group is not accredited by the BBB.

"The police officer told me that they are getting dozens of calls about door-to-door magazine sales representatives from The Harvest Group," Hart said. "He said that many of these sales representatives have outstanding warrants in other states."

Problems with door-to-door magazine sales representatives are not new to the Charlotte area. On September 9, 2009, NBC's Today Show featured the story of a Concord woman, Elysia Schabel - a young, stay-at-home mom who had a frightening encounter with a door-to-door magazine sales representative from Trinity Public Relations. The sales rep was verbally abusive to Schabel, and physically threatened to hit her when she wouldnt buy a magazine. Click below to view the video of NBC's Today Show Story on Trinity Public Relations: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/32722495#32722495

The BBB offers the following advice to avoid getting scammed by door-to-door magazine sales.

- Do not open your door to strangers. Instead, you should say through the door that you are not interested, and ask them to leave.
- Do not purchase magazines from door-to-door sales people because you will probably not receive the magazines.
- Do not give money to door-to-door solicitors, unless you know you are giving to local kids for local causes.
- If you feel threatened by any door-to-door sales representative, call 911.
- Check businesses out at www.bbb.org before making a purchase.
- If you are a victim of fraudulent magazine sales or any other scam, file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org or local law enforcement.

For more information, please visit www.bbb.org or call 1-877-317-7236 toll-free in N.C. and S.C.

Detective Steve Whitesel
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
South Patrol Division, 8050 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 100
Charlotte, NC 28226-4467
Office: 704-544-4835, FAX: 704-544-4838

Officer P.M. Grant
South Division, Response Area 2
Community Coordinator
8050 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 100
Charlotte, NC, 28226
pgrant@cmpd.org - (704) 544-4835

MORE ....
Good morning Omni community,
We received this notice from our neighbors at Providence Downs South over the weekend and wanted to inform everyone about this possible threat to our children. Please read below and be on the alert for any suspicious behavior.
Thank you,
Omni Montessori School

PDS Residents: Please be alert to the following and call 911 immediately if you see suspicious activity.
Neighborhood Crime Report - Camberley Subdivision

According to Waxhaw Police, last Tuesday, March 15th, a child in the Camberley subdivision was approached by a suspicious person in a white van offering them a ride to school saying their mother asked them to do so. Fortunately, the child refused and reported the incident to the Police. This incident occurred early Tuesday morning around the time the school buses starting picking up. Recently, a similar van has been reported acting suspicious in several other subdivisions in the Waxhaw area. Police have provided the following details:

The vehicle is a 2000 model or newer white work van, with no side windows except for the driver/passenger windows which are tinted. The driver is a white male, approximately 30-35 years old wearing glasses and balding. He has been previously reported to be parked in the various neighborhoods and taking notes.