Take steps to protect yourself from identity theft:

• Secure your Social Security number (SSN). Don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet or write your number on your checks. Only give out your SSN when absolutely necessary.
• Don’t respond to unsolicited requests for personal information (your name, birthdate, Social Security number, or bank account number) by phone, mail, or online. 
• Contact the three credit reporting agencies to request a freeze of your credit reports.
• Collect mail promptly. Place a hold on your mail when you are away from home for several days. 
• Pay attention to your billing cycles. If bills or financial statements are late, contact the sender.
• Enable the security features on mobile devices, especially if you have contacts, banking websites and applications saved.
• Update sharing and firewall settings when you're on a public wi-fi network.  Consider using a virtual private network, which can give you the privacy of secured private network.
• Review your credit card and bank account statements. Promptly compare receipts with account statements. Watch for unauthorized transactions.
• Shred receipts, credit offers, account statements, and expired credit cards, to prevent “dumpster divers” from getting your personal information.
• Store personal information in a safe place.
• Install firewalls and virus-detection software on your home computer.
• Create complex passwords that identity thieves cannot guess easily. Change your passwords if a company that you do business with has a breach of its databases
• Review your credit report once a year to be certain that it doesn't include accounts that you have not opened. You can order it for free from Annualcreditreport.com.

See more from USA.gov HERE​

Remember many credit cards and banks will notify you of charges or withdrawals based on amounts you specify. Contact your financial partners today for more details to implement these and more  security measures.

COYOTE PRECAUTIONS
In response to increased coyote sightings, PVE residents, especially those living near open spaces, natural thoroughfares, or wild land preserves, are advised to give special attention to the following Do's and Don’ts to safely co-exist with the coyote.

DO:
 Consider making your pet an indoor pet when living in area that is known to be occupied by coyotes.
 Keep your pet on a short leash.
 Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.
 Eliminate thick ground cover, such as ivy and low shrubs from around dwellings to reduce protective cover for coyotes and make the area less attractive to rodents. Coyotes and other predators may be attracted to areas where rodents are concentrated.
 Keep yards free from potential shelters such as thick brush and weeds, and enclose the bottoms of porches and decks.
 Use a Coyote Shaker: A can containing a few coins or rocks which can be shaken and thrown at the coyote.
 Teach children not to approach stray animals.

DON'T
 Don't walk your pet during dusk or dawn, when coyotes tend to be more active.
 Don't allow pets to stay outdoors at night.
 Don't allow pets to roam from home unattended.
 Don't feed wild animals.
 Don't approach or attempt to "tame" coyotes. 

SECURE YOUR FOOD AND TRASH Allowing coyotes access to human food and garbage is reckless and can be deadly.
 Coyotes primarily hunt rodents and rabbits for food, but will take advantage of whatever is available, including garbage, pet food, and small domestic animals.
 Do not set your trash out for pick-up until the day of pick-up to reduce attracting predators in the middle of the night.
 Don't leave trash cans uncovered. If you leave garbage outside, don't use trash bags as garbage containers; coyotes can easily rip them open and scatter the contents.
 Feed your pets indoors if possible.
 If you do feed your pets outdoors, food dishes should be promptly emptied and removed after the pets have eaten.
 Don't leave water bowls for pets outdoors.
 Remove any fruit which has fallen to the ground, and cover compost piles.
 Provide secure enclosures for rabbits, poultry, and other outdoor animals.
 Ask your neighbors to follow these tips. 

​USE NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT If coyotes begin frequenting your neighborhood, let them know they're not welcome. Make loud noises, throw an object at them, or spray them with a garden hose. If you or your pets are approached by an aggressive coyote, pick up your pet or keep it on a short leash, and try to frighten the coyote by shouting in a loud deep voice, and by waving your arms to make yourself appear larger. If you are seated, stand up, retreat from the situation by waking slowly backwards so that you do not turn your back on the coyote. For everyone's safety, it is essential that coyotes retain their natural wariness of humans.

For more information on Coyote issues, visit:
http://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dacc/029449_L&ELivingwithwildlife-Coyote.pdf

Or contact your City at:
Palos Verdes Estates Police Department (310) 378-4211 ​

Source: By Emily Holland, Patch Staff | Dec 4, 2017 12:25 pm ET | Updated Dec 4, 2017 12:26 pm ET 

The virus can infect animals, including dogs, and lead to serious illness or death, according to the El Segundo Police Department. 

PALOS VERDES, CA – Various cases of distemper has been reported around the South Bay. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has received several reports of raccoons in the area showing symptoms of the virus, which can infect animals, including dogs, and lead to serious illness or death, according to the El Segundo Police Department.

Distemper (also known as canine distemper) is caused by a virus and can infect dogs, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and large cats such as lions and tigers, according to ESPD. The virus infects the lungs, airways, nose, eyes, and brain, and suppress the immune system. Distemper can cause serious illness and death in these animals – it does not cause illness in cats or people. 

Dogs catch distemper from other dogs or wild animals that are infected with it by having direct contact with the sick animal, or standing near it when it's coughing. They can also catch it if they have contact with food bowls or other objects that were contaminated by infected animals, according to ESPD. Puppies and unvaccinated dogs are the most likely to catch it. 

Coughing is the most common symptom, although infected animals usually develop a fever and discharge from their eyes and nose. The disease can also cause disorientation, tremors, twitches and seizures. Infected animals are vulnerable to catching more infections, such as bacterial pneumonia. The symptoms are similar in raccoons and other wildlife, the press release said. 

Veterinarians can order blood and urine tests to test a dog for distemper, although your dog isn't likely to be infected if it received a full series of three or more distemper vaccinations when it was a puppy. Currently, there is no treatment that kills the virus inside the animal. Veterinarians administer medications to fight the extra infections (such as pneumonia) and to prevent seizures, while the dog's body fights off the virus. 

How to prevent distemper in dogs: 

1. Vaccination. Distemper is prevented by vaccinating puppies with a series of 3 or more distemper vaccines between the ages of 2 and 4 months. Distemper is the "D" in the DHLPP vaccine for dogs. The vaccine must be given again (booster) a year later, then every three years for life.  
2. Protect puppies. Keep puppies at home, away from unfamiliar dogs, until they have finished their complete vaccination series. 
3. Keep your dog away from sick dogs and wildlife. Do not let your dog have direct contact with any sick dogs, nor share food or water bowls with them. 
4. Keep pet food and water indoors, away from wildlife. Outdoor pet food and water can attract raccoons and other wildlife. Distemper outbreaks occur in raccoons in Los Angeles County periodically; sick raccoons can contaminate the bowls and transfer the virus to your dog.

If you have additional questions, please contact ESPD Animal Control Officer Joe Camagong at (310) 524-2231 or jcamagong@elsegundo.org.
​

NEWS FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT 

Beware of a new scam. A caller from 844-924-7733 (a known scam number from off shore) says they are calling from Walgreen’s Pharmacy and need to verify information such as birthdate, etc. to fill a prescription. 
See an article below. And never give personal information on the phone. Tell them you will be contacting your pharmacy branch directly or better yet, go into your local pharmacy to share that information if possible. 

Tuesday, May 10, 2016 Source: ABC 7 Eyewitness News Chicago 
NILES, Ill. (WLS) -- 
Multiple suburban Niles residents have reported receiving bogus calls from someone pretending to be a Walgreens pharmacy employee, police said Tuesday. The calls come from several area codes, police said. Several included the 402 area code. The callers' numbers may look legitimate via caller ID, but are an actual different number, Niles police said. The caller identified themselves at being from the Walgreens pharmacy and says, "We are attempting to verify information for a pending prescription." If the potential victim continues on the call, they will ask for driver's license information, social security information, insurance information and any other personal identifiers. This type of scam is called "phishing," and aims to obtain personal information for identity theft or insurance fraud purposes, police said. 

Tips to prevent online purchases from being stolen outside your home.
By Deb Belt (Patch Staff) - November 16, 2016 5:15 pm ET

Now that the seasons of Pokémon Go players and creepy clowns have largely passed, the next stranger in your yard will probably be looking to steal your holiday packages.

As online shoppers plow through their holiday gift lists, UPS, Federal Express and U.S. Postal Service trucks are driving through neighborhoods dropping off goodies. And in a move dubbed "front porch shopping," observant thieves will follow delivery trucks and steal recently delivered packages from porches and stoops.

The gift season looks bright for thieves, with sales in November and December expected to increase 3.6 percent to $655.8 billion overall, according to the National Retail Federation. Online sales should increase between 7 and 10 percent to about $117 billion.

Police and security experts have shared some reminders on how to thwart "porch pirates" and ensure you receive your packages:

•  If possible, have your package delivered to a location where it can be received by a trusted person.
  
•  Ask neighbors who are home during the day to watch for deliveries.
•  Request that the shipper holds the package at their facility for pickup.
•  Track deliveries online and confirm delivery has occurred.
•  Insure valuable items.
•  Provide delivery instructions so packages are left out of sight from the street.
• Watch out for vehicles following delivery vans through neighborhoods. Some thieves will simply shadow deliver drivers and go from house to house stealing newly delivered packages.
  
• When sending packages, take them to a post office or other shipping facility rather than leaving them outside your home for pickup. Let the person you are sending the package to know to expect the package.
  
• Show off your home security system; make sure you have a sign in the front yard. If you have security cameras, make sure potential thieves know they're there, and if you have a doorbell camera, use it.
  
• Sign up for email notifications from FedEx, UPS and businesses like Amazon and Urban Outfitters to track your package from initial shipment to its arrival at your home or the recipient's address if you have the gift delivered directly.
  

Stay alert. Be aware of your surroundings and pay attention to activity around you. If you see something that looks suspicious, call 9‐1‐1 immediately or the Police Department business line 310-378-4211.

How many children have died after being left alone in a vehicle?
- Between 1998 - May 2012, 527 children died of hyperthermia from being left alone in a motor vehicle in the United States.
What led to these deaths?
- 52% - child "forgotten" by caregiver (253 children)
- 30% - child playing in unattended vehicle (150 children)
- 17% - child intentionally left in vehicle by adult (86 children)
- 1% - circumstances unclear (5 children)
Why does this happen?
- A child’s body temperature rises 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s. Even leaving a window open is not enough. It is never safe to leave a child alone in a parked car because the sun’s radiation warms objects inside of the car, such as the dashboard, steering wheel, child seat, etc., then these heated objects quickly heat the trapped air inside of the car, similarly to that of a convection oven.
- On a mild day of only 80 degrees, the inside of a vehicle can heat quickly. In only 10 minutes raising the inside temperature of the vehicle to 99 degrees, in 20 minutes to 109 degrees, in 30 minutes to 114 degrees, and 60 minutes to 123 degrees.
What can you do?
- Never leave your child alone in a vehicle-It’s the Law! Once you reach your destination, before leaving your vehicle:
1. Make sure that all occupants leave the vehicle when unloading
2. Take all children, including sleeping infants, with you
3. Lock your vehicle doors and trunks

(Source www.CrimeDoctor.com)
 
By far, the most common threat to our home is burglary. According to the FBI, a burglary occurs somewhere in the United States every 15.4 seconds. By definition, the crime of burglary is a non-confrontational property crime that occurs when we are not at home. However, becoming a burglary victim can leave a family feeling vulnerable and violated. To avoid becoming a burglary victim, it is important to first gain an understanding of who commits them and why.
 
The majority of home and apartment burglaries occur during the daytime when most people are away at work or school. The summer months of July and August have the most burglaries with February having the fewest crimes. Burglaries are committed most often by young males under 25 years of age looking for items that are small, expensive, and can easily be converted to cash. Favorite items are cash, jewelry, guns, watches, laptop computers, VCRs, video players, CDs and other small electronic devices are high on the list. Quick cash is needed for living expenses and drugs. Statistics tell us that 70% of the burglars use some amount force to enter a dwelling, but their preference is to gain easy access through an open door or window. Ordinary household tools like screwdrivers, channel-lock pliers, small pry bars, and small hammers are most often used by burglars. Burglars continue to flourish because police can only clear about 13% of all reported burglaries and rarely catch the thief in the act.
 
Although home burglaries may seem random in occurrence, they actually involve a selection process. The burglar's selection process is simple. Choose an unoccupied home with the easiest access, the greatest amount of cover, and with the best escape routes. What follows is a list of suggestions to minimize your risk by making your home unattractive to potential burglars.

Can You Drive Blindfolded? Is distracted driving really a problem? YES! The friends, family, and neighbors of the thousands of people killed each year in distracted driving crashes will tell you it is a serious problem. The nearly half a million people injured each year will agree. Distraction occurs any time you take your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel, and your mind off your primary task: driving safely. Any non-driving activity you engage in is a potential distraction and increases your risk of crashing. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that's like driving the length of an entire football field, blindfolded. Texting is the most alarming distraction because it involves manual, visual, and cognitive distraction simultaneously. Some people still don't know how dangerous distracted driving is. Others know about the risks of texting and talking while driving, but still choose to do so anyway. They make the mistake of thinking the statistics don't apply to them, that they can defy the odds. Still others simply lead busy, stressful lives and use cell phones and smartphones to stay connected with their families, friends, and workplaces. They forget or choose not to shut these devices off when they get behind the wheel. The California Highway Patrol wants to remind you don’t become a statistic. Distracted driving is 100% preventable. For more information go to: www.chp.ca.gov or www.nhsta.org ​