Mountain Lion Spotted

Early this morning, one of our dispatchers going home spotted a mountain lion on Calzada Del Bosque south of Via De Santa Fe.  This was about 1:45 hrs this morning.  The animal was running and she said it jumped a fence. 

This sighting has not been confirmed by Fish and Game.  As in our previous posts, sightings should be reported to Fish and Game.   This helps track the animals activity and help to confirm the sighting.  Sometimes the animals are mistaken for Bobcat, Coyote and large dogs.  If you do see a mountain lion, do not approach it.  Make as much noise as you can- make yourself look big.  Refer to our previous post on this subject (below). 

How to Screw Up a Car Thief's Day

A very informative article.   You may be suprised which day of the year has the most thefts.....
See this link:
http://autos.aol.com/article/car-thiefs-day/

FBI Top Ten Tips

It seems during the holidays we hear of more of the cyber crimes/ identiy theft cases going on.  To protect your online accounts and personal information, its a good idea to follow these tips:

FBI Top 10 Tips- Cybercrime

Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.

Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.

Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. Scan the attachments for viruses if possible.

Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages that ask for personal information.

Always compare the link in the e-mail with the link to which you are directed and determine if they match and will lead you to a legitimate site.

Log directly onto the official website for the business identified in the e-mail, instead of “linking” to it from an unsolicited e-mail. If the e-mail appears to be from your bank, credit card issuer, or other company you deal with frequently, your statements or official correspondence from the business will provide the proper contact information.

Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the e-mail to verify if the e-mail is genuine.

If you are asked to act quickly, or there is an emergency, it may be a scam. Fraudsters create a sense of urgency to get you to act quickly.

Verify any requests for personal information from any business or financial institution by contacting them using the main contact information.

Remember if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Holiday Safety Tips

Holiday Safety Tips

Sheriff Bill Gore's "Holiday Watch" is now underway to keep you and your family safe. Crime prevention specialists offer the following tips so you don't become a victim.

If you're traveling:

Get an automatic timer for your lights.

Ask neighbors to watch your home and park in your driveway from time to time.

Don't forget to have mail and newspaper delivery stopped. If it piles up, it's a sure sign you're gone.

If you're out for the evening:

Turn on lights and a radio or TV so it looks like someone's home.

Be extra cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave, even if it's just for a few minutes.

Don't display gifts where they can be seen from outside.

If you're shopping:

Stay alert and be aware of what's going on around you.

Park in a well-lighted space and be sure to lock the car, close the windows, and hide shopping bags and gifts in the trunk.

Avod carrying large amounts of cash.

Deter pickpockets and purse-snatchers. Don't overburden yourself with packages.

Shopping with kids? Teach them to stay put to be found and to approach a store clerk or security guard if you get separated.

Residents of areas served by the Sheriff’s Department can go to crimemapping.com to sign up and receive crime alerts.

Lock Your Car!

Last month, we had two reported car burglaries.  In both cases, valuables were left in the car.  Now that we are approaching the holiday season, we need to be more vigilant about locking our cars, homes and businesses.  It is very important to not leave valuable items in your car- specially in the passenger area.  Crooks know that if you park in certain areas your car will be unattended for a while- places like shopping malls, golf courses, movie theaters.  It is convenient just to stash stuff behind the seat- don't do it.  Reduce the chances of becoming a victim- take away the opportunity. 

Always park in a busy area- in good lighting.  If you are nervous about going back to your car- ask for an escort.  Look around you- if you see something that doesn't look right- report it. 

When at home- lock your doors- when you are there and when you leave.  Leave lights on- make the place look lived in.  Houses that look dark and vacant are a target.  If you are going away- call us for a home security check.  Arm up your alarm system-not working right ?  call for service.  The service call could be far less expensive than the cost of replacing stolen property.  Tell a trusted friend or neighbor your are away.  have them keep an eye on the house for you. 

Mountain Lions

MOUNTAIN LION INFORMATION

On September 22^nd and 28^th  2010, we had three  separate reports of mountain lion sightings.  In April this year we had report that a mountain lion had injured two dogs.  In this case there was no visual confirmation of the cat attacking the dogs.  A paw print was found nearby that was a mountain lion print.

The recent sightings were located:

1.       Sept  22 3:45 AM in the area of the RSF Library in the village

2.       Sept 28  1:45 AM behind a home on a trail in the 17500 block of Los Morros.     

3.       Sept. 22 or 23 8:30 AM  in the area of the San Elijo Lagoon trail west of El Camino Real near La Orilla.

These were sightings, the animal did not attack anyone.  There have been sightings in nearby communities- Cielo, Fairbanks Ranch, etc.  over the past year.  Mountain Lions have a large territory- so this is not unusual.  They are very elusive animals and do not want to interact with humans.  

The sightings were reported to the California Department of Fish and Game.  If you should see a mountain lion, you are encouraged to call Fish and Game at 858-467-4257.  If the animal is a threat, call 911.

Although historically sightings are rare, there are several types of wild animals that live here in Rancho Santa Fe.  Mountain Lions main food source is deer and coyotes.  Eliminating plant species that attract deer help discourage mountain lions from coming into the area. 

Please take precautions – mountain lions are most active at night as well as dusk and dawn.  Do not leave children outside unattended; don’t leave pet food or food that may attract animals outside.  Do not leave animals outside unattended.  Horses should be kept in stalls in the barn.  Be careful when walking/ jogging at dusk and dawn time periods.   If you see a mountain lion- make noise-lots of it.  Yell, scream, and bang on something.  For example, pocket sized air horns are a good way to do that.

If you have any questions please call the Dept of Fish and Game at 858-467-4201  or the RSF Patrol 858-756-4372.

For more information:  www.keepmewild.org

Important Telephone Numbers

Telephone Numbers:

Emergency     Dial  911

Rancho Santa Fe Patrol: 
858-756-4372           Business (24 hrs 
858-756-9966           Emergency
858-759-8590           Fax

San Diego County Sheriff                       
760-966-3500           Encinitas Station
858-565-5200           Dispatch (24 hrs)

California Highway Patrol      

760-757-1675          Oceanside Office

858-637-3800          Dispatch (24 hrs)

Animal Control:                                       
760-438-2312

RSF Fire Dept.         
858-756-5971

FBI                                                         
858-565-1255

Calif. Dept of Justice   
800-952-5225

US Border Patrol    
619-652-9966 x 100

                                                              

Fraud Numbers:

National Check Fraud Number 
843-571-2143

SCAN                                                  
800-262-7771

TeleCheck 
800-710-9898 or 927-0188

CheckRite                                            
800-766-2748

CrossCheck 
707-586-0551

Equifax Check System
800-427-5120

International Check Services  
800-526-5380

Social Security Admin. Fraud Hotline
800-269-0271

Federal Trade Commission (for Identity Theft) 
1-877-IDTHEFT  (438-4338)

Credit Agencies:

To Report Fraud- You only need to contact one Credit Bureau, they will contact the others.

Equifax:  
1-800-525-6285

Experian:                                            
1-888-397-3742