How to protect your home from burglaries: Thieves tell all – TODAY.com

Nicholas Kyriazis estimates he’s burglarized at least 100 homes, maybe as many as 150. So who better to explain how to protect your home from burglaries?

TODAY national investigative correspondent Jeff Rossen went inside the walls of New Jersey State Prison, where Kyriazis is serving a 70-year prison sentence, to get tips on how keep your home from being a target for people like him:

Read full article and view video: How to protect your home from burglaries: Thieves tell all – TODAY.com

New Chief of Baltimore County Police

ATTENTION All TACOP:
Tuesday, Feb 7 at 7PM, our new Chief of Baltimore County Police, Chief Terry Sheridan will be attending to meet us. This new Chief started his new job Feb 1, 2017.  You may have read that Chief Jim Johnson retired.  Captain Landsman has also been invited.  Great Photo Opp!
PLEASE ATTEND.  Hopefully we will have a good showing of our patrollers to impress the Chief!
THANK YOU , Pat

“If You See Something – Say Something” Advises TACOP

In light of the recent spate of vandalism across Towson, the Towson Area Citizens On Patrol (TACOP) is advising residents to be vigilant and “if you see something – say something.”  TACOP and the Baltimore County Police Department remind the public that the police need “real time” information. They encourage people to be proactive and call 911 immediately if acts of vandalism or other criminal activity is observed.

For 17 years, TACOP volunteers have patrolled the streets of Towson to fight crime and help keep residents, businesses and students safe.  Working in partnership with the Baltimore County Police Department, TACOP volunteers monitor criminal activity in Towson and call 911 to report any suspected crimes they observe while on patrol.  Proactive citizens who see something and say something enhance TACOP’s crime prevention measures.

TACOP is a 501c3 organization founded in 2000 to help Towson Area neighborhoods start COP Programs. Neighborhood COP groups are started voluntarily by members of the community and are often very effective at deterring crime. For information on starting a local neighborhood COP, contact Pat France at TACOP. Currently, TACOP has 25 active COP neighborhoods and is solely supported by donations from the public. https://towsonareacop.wordpress.com.

TACOP Contacts:    

Mike Calwell, President  mikecalwell@gmail.com  (443) 829-5276

Pat France, Vice-President tapecnarf@gmail.com410-828-5564

Janice Arcieri, Secretary  janjoeka@comcast.net  443-465-0150

Janet Eveleth, PR/Media  janeveleth@verizon.net  410-821-1008

Barbara Lewis, Website Coord blewis711@gmail.com 410-663-4266

Kathy Fick, Fundraising Coordinator kathyhfick@comcast.net 410-825-8275

TACOP Increases Patrols for Mischief Night

TACOP is increasing patrols of Towson streets on “Mischief Night,” Sunday, October 30, to deter Halloween pranksters and troublemakers on the eve of Halloween.  Working in partnership with the Baltimore County Police, COP Mischief Prevention Patrols will be out in force that evening to discourage mischievous acts like egg throwing and wrapping trees and porches with rolls of toilet paper in downtown Towson and its 25 surrounding neighborhoods. 

        For 16 years, TACOP’s (Towson Area Citizens on Patrol) volunteer car patrols, walkers, joggers, bikers and dog walkers have established a visible presence in Towson on Mischief Night and serve as a major deterrent to pranks and delinquent activity.  While most pranks are not crimes, tossing raw eggs at cars damages the car’s paint if it is not washed off immediately and raw egg fights leave a mess which residents and businesses have to clean up.  Since the inception of TACOP’s Mischief Night patrols, the number of incidents has declined.

       TACOP’s Mischief Night, which is open to the public, starts at 6 PM on October 30 at the Baltimore County Police Hillendale Resource Center located at 1055 Taylor Avenue.  Attendees are asked to bring hats, gloves, scarves and peanut butter packaged in anything but glass jars to donate to the Shelters and Family Crisis Center.  After the COP volunteers network, compare notes on their neighborhood patrols and enjoy light refreshments, the Mischief Prevention patrol schedule will be finalized. 

      Most COP volunteer drivers will have magnetized signs on their cars identifying them as COP patrollers and a blinking light on the car’s roof, although others will be unmarked as they patrol. Patrollers carry their cell phones and call 911 if they see suspect activity.

       TACOP is a 501c3 organization founded in 2000 to help Towson Area neighborhoods start COP programs and is solely supported by donations.

       For more information refer to https://towsonareacop.wordpress.com/about/.

TACOP Contacts:    

  Mike Calwell, President  mikecalwell@gmail.com  (443) 829-5276

Pat France, Vice-President  tapecnarf@gmail.com 410-828-5564

Janice Arcieri, Secretary  janjoeka@comcast.net  443-465-0150

Janet Eveleth, PR/Media  janeveleth@verizon.net  410-821-1008

Barbara Lewis, Website Coord blewis711@gmail.com 410-663-4266

Kathy Fick, Fundraising Coordinator kathyhfick@comcast.net 410-825-8275