PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS IN HOT CARS

If it's hot outside for you, it is even hotter for your pets.
With recent high temperatures, Albany Police have responded to several calls from concerned citizens about finding animals left in vehicles.

The temperature can be 78 degrees outside, and the temperature inside a car can climb to 105 degrees in 20 minutes.
A pet can suffer heat stroke, seizures, and other symptoms. Too much time in a hot car can kill any pet.
Signs an animal is in distress include:

• Excessive panting
• Excessive drooling
• Increased heart rate
• Trouble breathing
• Disorientation
• Collapse or loss of consciousness
• Seizure

If you see a pet in distress in a hot car in Albany, call Albany Police at 541-917-7680 to have an officer come and assess the situation.
If you are outside of the city, in a county park, call the Linn County Sheriff's Office at 541-967-3911; Linn County Dog Control, 541-967-3925; or Benton County Animal Control (North Albany), 541-753-0732, to find out if a deputy is in the area and can assist you.
Do not try to rescue the animal on your own as you could be held liable for damages to the vehicle. 

Multiple Scams Hitting the Albany Area

We have multiple scams hitting Albany currently. 

1. Emails claiming to be from legitimate companies such as Walgreens and Costco wanting you to CONFIRM your shipment.  If you have not ordered any items, these are scams.  DO NOT OPEN THE EMAIL.
2. Phone calls from any legitimate company or unknown company requesting a Green Dot Card be purchased. THIS IS A SCAM!  Hang up the phone immediately. 

Protect yourself.  Do not give out any financial information, personal information or respond to emails.  Delete the email and hang up the phone.

Take care and Happy New Year!

December Gatherings Call for Increased Parental Monitoring

Nationally, more youth initiate alcohol use in December than in any other month.  Festive celebrations during the holidays may increase the amount of alcohol available in the home.  Increased alcohol availability, combined with the busyness of the holidays, may contribute to easier access of alcohol among teens on winter break.  In Linn County, 41% of 8th graders and 68% of 11th graders report it would be either "sort of easy" or "very easy" to access alcohol. Furthermore, among local 11th graders who report using alcohol,10% report obtaining alcohol from their own home without parent permission.

Follow these simple steps to prevent underage drinking during the holidays:

• Be aware of how much alcohol you have in your home, and keep it in a secure location.
• Adults may be tempted to “break the rules” and offer teens alcohol during the holiday season as a treat. Encourage friends and family not to offer alcohol to teens.
• If you are hosting a holiday party with alcohol, remove all empty or half-empty cups or containers as soon as possible.
• Serve alcohol-free drinks for all age groups in your home.
• Be mindful of drinking behaviors you are modeling for youth.

*Information provided by Linn County Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Program
Source: 2014 Linn County Student Wellness Survey 

Roundabout Rules

The new roundabout is open at Third and Main Streets.  The road rules for roundabouts can be confusing and difficult to navigate. The Oregon Department of Transportation has published a brochure to help motorists travel through a roundabout with confidence, including step-by-step directions for drivers and cyclists. Below are some of the tips to help motorists should they approach a roundabout:

• Start slowing down. Next you will see a directional sign that shows where the exits are located on the roundabout.
• Slow down to 10-15 MPH as you approach.
• Stay in your lane, to the right of the splitter island.
• Be sure to look for bicyclists merging into the travel lane, or pedestrians wanting to cross.  Be considerate, and let the bicyclists merge. If you see a person in or about to enter the crosswalk, let them cross; it’s the LAW.
• Move slowly to the yield line, looking left. A YIELD sign will tell you to yield to traffic in the roundabout.
• You may have to stop to yield to cars on your left. If the road is clear, simply enter the roundabout, turning right. You don’t have to stop, just enter.
• Proceed around the roundabout slowly. Don’t pass bicyclists ahead of you within the roundabout, as your speeds should be nearly equal. Continue until you get to your exit. Do not stop in the roundabout.
• Directional signs will tell you where to exit. Exit carefully, using your right turn signal. Watch for pedestrians in or approaching the crosswalk and stop for them. That’s it, you’re done!

For a complete brochure that includes tips for drivers, as well as bicyclists and pedestrians please visit: http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/ENGSERVICES/docs/pdf/howdrive.pdf

Scams

Green Dot Money Pak Cards are legitimate reloadable debit cards that can be used to pay bills.  Many people who don’t have bank accounts use them.  These cards are available at most convenience stores.

Scam artists regularly use them because they are more convenient than a money order and are totally untraceable.  Once they have the card serial number they transfer the funds onto another prepaid debit card.

These scams have been reported nationally.  The scammers have targeted both English and Spanish speaking victims.  Albany PD has had two recently reported scams and the victim's were both Spanish speaking.   

Pacific Power & Lights SCAM:  Victims are contacted by a caller purporting to work for PP&L.  The caller informs the victim that their electric service is about to be disconnected unless they pay a past due balance.  The caller instructs the victim to purchase a Green Dot Money Pak and provides them with a telephone number to call back.  The telephone numbers are “throw away” cell phones.  Once the victim calls the number, they are instructed to provide the serial number on the money pak.  At that point the scam is complete. PP&L will not contact their customers and request they purchase Green Dot Money Pak cards.

Please report all scams to Albany Police Department at 541-917-7680.  You can also access this information in Spanish on our City Website under Tip of the Day.  Use the Language function at the bottom of the page.

You can also review the following news piece for additional information.

http://www.kpho.com/story/21291286/scammers-now-using-green-dot-moneypak-cards

Burglary Prevention 101

Every year, millions of homes are burglarized in the U.S. The good news is that 9 out of 10 of those burglaries were preventable. Burglary is often times a “crime of opportunity” so there are several things you can do to reduce that opportunity for a burglar.

• Do not leave windows or doors open or unlocked.   
• Make sure the exterior of your home is well-lit. Consider purchasing motion-sensitive lights that activate only when there is movement. Visit your local hardware store for the many motion light sensors available.
• Consider using a light timer to activate lights inside your home at various times throughout the day and night.
• Keep shrubs trimmed down to 2’ and trees trimmed up to 6’ so burglars can’t hide. 
• Make sure exterior lights are mounted out of reach so burglars cannot easily remove the light bulb.
• Install deadbolt locks on all exterior doors. 
• Install double locks on glass doors. This may prevent a burglar from simply breaking the glass and reaching in to unlock the door.   Visit your local hardware store for ideas on lock options.
• If your budget permits, install an alarm system that will alert you, a neighbor, or possibly the police that someone is trying to gain access to your home. 
• Be sure to keep ladders and other tools locked up so that no one can use them to break into your home.
• Talk to your neighbors about vacation dates and checking on your home.
• Report all suspicious vehicles and persons to Albany Police Department.
• Take the time to “case” your own home. Walk around and identify areas of weakness where a burglar may be able to gain entry. 
• Call Albany Police for a free Crime Prevention survey on your home.
• If you are 55 or older and live in the City of Albany, contact the Albany Police Department to schedule a FREE SASSI home security inspection at 541-917-3206 or 541-791-0172.

For more information on burglary-proofing your home visit: http://www.burglaryprevention.org

Shopping Carts

Shopping carts are a convenience for all shoppers.  The majority of our community utilizes a cart and returns it to business storage.  However, some shopping carts are used for foot transport to offsite locations and become an unsightly abandoned nuisance.  Every citizen and business owner can take an active role in keeping Albany clean. 

The following are some helpful facts and tips to improve the quality of our City:

• Under Albany Municipal Code 7.84.210 it is the responsibility of all businesses to retrieve abandoned shopping carts.
• Under ORS 164.015 businesses can notify members of the public that unauthorized appropriation of a shopping cart is a crime.
• Under Albany Municipal Code 7.84.220 a person shall retrieve a shopping cart that the person owns with 72 hours after receiving notification that the shopping cart has been abandoned. 
• Citizens can call businesses directly to request the carts be removed.
• Citizens can call Albany Police to report abandoned carts.
• Under Albany Municipal Code 7.84.220 the City may take custody of an abandoned shopping cart and impose a fine of $50.00 on the owner of the shopping cart if it is not retrieved within 72 hours.