One of the most important things we do as a Department is to provide opportunities for our youth and parents to succeed in this high pressure society that we live in. Our youth are constantly struggling with the pressures of life, which are completely different than what we were exposed to. The Sheriff’s goal has been to provide as many opportunities we can to help get kids on the right track. To this end the Sheriff expanded the Divisionary Programs to make sure that we are giving youth and their parents a second chance to succeed in life. Adding to the JUSTICE Program, Youth Arbitration Program, Explorers Program:
Sheriff Leon Lott implemented the J.U.M.P. (Juveniles Under Motivated Pressure) Start Program in 2007 for challenged youth to have an overnight stay. The program consists of character building scenarios to help develop life skills. The focus point of interest is to reduce the delinquent behavior, among our youth. In return this will give them a real world experience on how life will be if they continue to make poor life decisions. More than twenty five hundred young adults have gone through the J.U.M.P. Start Program. The goal is to see our youth establish better behavior patterns within the household and community. As successful as the J.U.M.P. Start Program has been, parents are still reaching out, voicing that there is still work that needs to be done with our youth. The common response from parents evaluating the J.U.M.P. Start Program is, “What’s next?” As a result, the program appropriately titled NEXT STEP, has been implemented for students to have a mandatory mediation meeting (15 to 30 days out) after the completion of the J.U.M.P. Start Program. The Next Step Program began in 2012 to empower parents and help kids of all walks of life; in all stages of life. The program consists of intense educational workshops along with family mediation sessions. This program will bridge with other components from the Sheriff’s Department and communities. The program will walk the families step-by-step from a troubled situation back to a solid foundation. The process for signing a student up for the J.U.M.P. Start Program are as follow: Parent or guardian must pay an administrative fee of $10.00 if you live in the county. If you live out of the county or state the fee will be $20. Parent or guardian will bring the student to Richland County Sheriff's Department located at 1931 Pineview Drive, Columbia SC on that Friday evening at 3:00 PM and retrieve their child the next day (Saturday morning) promptly at 5:00 AM from the same location. Parent or guardian MUST attend a mandatory two hour Next Step Program workshop from 3:30pm to 5:30pm after they drop their child off. If there are any questions, parent or guardian may contact the following Deputies: Cpl. Acox (803) 309-1399 email [email protected] and Deputy Parks (803) 403-3955 email [email protected] Contact Deputies for scheduled dates.
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Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott continues to warn citizens about the dangers of making your vehicle an easy target. There is an upswing of thefts from motor vehicles this time of year. The Sheriff’s Department is fielding at least 10-15 reports a night of thefts due to unsecured vehicles.
Richland County Sheriff’s Department Sheriff Leon Lott extends the warmest wishes and the best for this holiday season. During this time of year, Sheriff Leon Lott asks you to stay alert to your surroundings and follow these holiday safety tips for your protection:
Driving Tips * Keep your car in good condition with the gas tank at least half full. * Park in well-lighted areas and lock your doors, no matter how long you'll be gone. * Put valuables out of sight or in the trunk. * Check front and rear seats and floorboards before entering your car. * Drive with all doors locked and windows rolled up. * Never pick up hitchhikers. * If your car breaks down, put the hood up, lock the doors, turn on the flashers, and move to the passenger seat. Do not leave your car. If someone stops to help, roll down the window slightly and ask them to call the police or a tow truck. * Avoid underground and enclosed parking garages if possible. * When parking or returning to your vehicle, carry your keys and be aware of your surroundings. Promptly report suspicious persons, vehicles, and crimes to the Sheriff’s Department! For more on safety tips please contact the Richland County Sheriff’s Department Community Action Team at (803) 309-5070 or www.rcsd.net * Website: www.rcsd.net * Twitter: http://twitter.com/RCSD * Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OfficialRCSDPage.fb * Facebook Kids: https://www.facebook.com/rcsdkids * Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/tumblelog/sheriffleonlott * Newsvine: http://richland-cty-sheriff-leon-lott1.newsvine.com/ The Bridge Creek Cougars are working on helping the
environment as well as the hungry! The Bridge Creek Elementary 4th & 5th Grade Club is gathering Pounds of Plastic for Harvest Hope Food Bank The mission of Harvest Hope Food Bank is to provide for the needs of hungry people by gathering and sharing quality food with dignity, compassion and education. Harvest Hope distributed over 27.5 million meals last year and fed approximately 48,000 people a week. Imagine how many plastic bags it took to distribute that much food!?!? On average Harvest Hope goes through approximately 2000 bags per day. As we move into the Holiday Seasons those numbers will increase. Our plan is to deliver enough bags to help Harvest Hope distribute the needed food to families in need throughout the Holidays. Please save and donate your PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS. There is a collection box located at the RCSD Headquarters on Two Notch Road OR contact RCSD Deputy Kelly Pounds, Bridge Creeks School Resource Officer at 803-462-3900 ext. 32458 or [email protected] to arrange for pick-up or for more information. THE BOXES WILL BE PICKED UP ON DEC. 12th so get you bags in today. Sheriff Leon Lott states, it is his duty to make citizens aware of issues that may affect individuals and their families. One issue that causes me increasing concern is the amount of credit card fraud and theft that is occurring. My biggest concern on this issue is that a large majority of the fraud and theft could be prevented. There are some simple, but effective measures, which businesses can take to prevent our citizens and businesspersons from becoming victims. One of the biggest suggestions that we can make, to prevent these types of crimes, is to ask all businesses to ask for picture identification from customers on all transactions. By requesting picture identification, you will protect the customer, your business and our community from this recurring crime – forcing the criminal to do business somewhere else. Steps To Minimize Credit Card Fraud For Businesses: 1) Ask for picture identification with every purchase. For online/over the telephone orders; take a few extra steps to validate each order. Don't accept orders unless complete information is provided - require address verification for credit card orders. 2) Be wary of orders with different "bill to" and "ship to" addresses -- require anyone who uses a different addresses to send a fax with their signature and credit card number authorizing the transaction. 3) Be careful with orders that come from free email services -- there is a much higher incidence of fraud from these services. Many businesses won't even accept orders that come through free email accounts anymore. It’s easy for a scammer to open a free, anonymous email account in another person's name and then send you, the business, an order using the fake email account and a fraudulent credit card number. 4) Be careful of orders that are larger than your typical order amount, and orders with next day delivery. Crooks don't care what it costs, since they aren't planning on paying for it anyway. 5) Pay extra attention to international orders and validate the order before you ship your product to a different country. 6) If you're suspicious, pick up the phone and call the customer to confirm the order. 7) Consider using software or services that can help you fight credit card fraud online. 8) If you the business are scammed by a credit card thief, contact your merchant processor immediately and inform them of the situation. Credit Card Fraud Prevention Tips: 1) Keep an eye on your credit card every time you use it, and make sure you get it back as quickly as possible. Try not to let your credit card out of your sight whenever possible. 2) Be very careful of who you give your credit card. Don't give out your account number over the phone unless you initiate the call and you know the company is reputable. Never give your credit card info out when you receive a phone call. (For example, if you're told there has been a 'computer problem' and the caller needs you to verify information.) Legitimate companies don't call you to ask for a credit card number over the phone. 3) Never respond to emails that request you provide your credit card info via email -- and don't ever respond to emails that ask you to go to a website to verify personal (and credit card) information. These are called 'phishing' scams. 4) Never provide your credit card information on a website that is not a secure site. 5) Sign your credit cards as soon as you receive them. Many cops write “check ID” on the back of their cards. 6) Shred all credit card applications you receive. 7) Don't write your PIN number on your credit card -- or have it anywhere near your credit card. 8) Never leave your credit cards or receipts lying around. 9) Shield your credit card number so that others around you can't copy it or capture it on a cell phone or surveillance cameras. 10) Keep a list in a secure place with all of your account numbers and expiration dates, as well as the phone number and address of each bank that has issued you a credit card. Keep this list updated. 11) Only carry around credit cards that you absolutely need. Don't carry around extra credit cards that you rarely use. 12) Open credit card bills promptly and make sure there are no bogus charges. Treat your credit card bill like your checking account -- reconcile it monthly. Save your receipts so you can compare them with your monthly bills. 13) If you find any charges that you don't have a receipt for -- or that you don't recognize -- report these charges promptly (and in writing) to the credit card issuer. 14) Always void and destroy incorrect receipts. 15) Shred anything with your credit card number written on it. 16) Never sign a blank credit card receipt. Carefully draw a line through blank portions of the receipt. 17) Never write your credit card account number in a public place (such as on a postcard or so that it shows through the envelope payment window). 18) Ideally, it's a good idea to carry your credit cards separately from your wallet. 19) Never lend a credit card to anyone else. 20) If you move, notify your credit card issuers in advance of your change of address. Note: ** Richland County Sheriff’s Department offers FREE crime prevention classes on these and many other safety tips. Please call (803) 576-3118 or visit the website at www.rcsd.net Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, in partnership with our business community, would like to encourage you to be safe shopping this holiday season. The Sheriff is asking you to take some extra precautions and follow some tips that will keep you safe. Sheriff Leon Lott realizes that the holiday season is fast approaching and that many of you will be out shopping getting into the holiday spirit – kicking off the holiday season with some early morning shopping and some of you shopping in all day marathons on black Friday and the days to follow. Unfortunately we live in a society where not everyone is out spreading holiday cheer. It is with that in mind, that Sheriff Leon Lott and your community businesses want to remind you to be vigilant and alert as you venture out. Sheriff Leon Lott offers these tips: Be aware of your surroundings, scan the area from time to time Avoid concentrating so hard on shopping that you fail to keep track of your surroundings, or others near you or your personal property. Be alert in crowded places. Pickpockets favorite places are revolving doors, jammed aisles, elevators, and at public transportation bus stops – make sure your pocketbook/wallet is on your person at all times. Wear conservative, comfortable clothing. Grip your carried items firmly and avoid leaving them attended. Carry the day’s most expensive purchases closest to your body, and don’t carry so much you lose the ability to react quickly. Do not leave purchased items visible in the car - leave them in the trunk. Carry minimal cash and valuables, wear minimal jewelry. Credit cards offer convenience and security, however, keep track of all cards and keep receipts to compare to your monthly statement. Shop with friends or relatives if possible; there is safety in numbers. If possible, leave your children with a baby-sitter while you are shopping. If you take your children with you, keep a close eye on them while shopping. While shopping in the evening hours may be less crowded, there are also additional potential risks involved – park in areas with adequate lighting, again shop with someone rather than alone. When returning to your vehicle, carry your keys in your hand and be ready to unlock the door and enter as quickly as possible. As you approach your vehicle, scan the area, glance underneath, and take a quick look inside before entering. Report suspicious people or activity to law enforcement immediately! Sheriff Leon Lott extends the very best of this Holiday Season from our family to yours! There's no doubt that if a child goes missing, every second counts until they return home. The Richland County Sheriff's Department "Kid Print Program" helps speed up the process of an investigation and the recovery of a lost child. The program also reminds us just how important it is to talk with our children about being safe. Kid Print is a great program, it's very important and most importantly it works. Kid Print events take place weekly all over Richland County. The program is offered FREE to the public and is sponsored by the Richland County Sheriff's Foundation. Over the past 5 years, almost 30,000 children were printed and photographed by our Kid Print team. The parents of those children received an identification picture, statistical information about their child and an imprint of the right and left thumb all on an 8x10 paper for use in an emergency situation. The Sheriff’s Department does not keep a record of the information, all the material goes home with the parents. The Sheriff stated that a lot of times we have people from out of town visiting the area come to an event that Kid Print is present at, and they have their child fingerprinted. They will compliment RCSD on the program; some don't have something like this where they are from, and so we are happy to accommodate them. It provides comfort and the assurance that all the critical information about the child is in one place. As your Sheriff I understand the importance of program like Kid Print and the importance of child safety. I am extremely proud of those that are making this program a success and that help give parents that peace of mind in the case of an emergency. I want to remind everyone to talk with their children and grandchildren about staying safe and about what to do when danger approaches. Please encourage your kids to go to our child page of our website at www.rcsd.net or our interact with us on our teen facebook page – as adults I would encourage you to go to our website and social media sites to receive tons of FREE information that can protect you and your community. So far this year, we have printed and photographed over 7,000 children. Our teams can come out to visit community groups, schools, churches, and other organizations (under the premise that the event is children related). For more information about the Kid Print program visit http://www.rcsd.net/dept/kidprint.htm or email a request to have us come out at [email protected]. Bridge Creek Cougars are working on helping the environment as well as the hungry! Starting November 13, 2017 the Bridge Creek Elementary 4th & 5th Grade Club will be working to gather Pounds of Plastic for Harvest Hope Food Bank The mission of Harvest Hope Food Bank is to provide for the needs of hungry people by gathering and sharing quality food with dignity, compassion and education. Harvest Hope began in 1981 as the result of a shared vision of business leaders and the faith community who set out to provide for the hungry in Columbia. Since then Harvest Hope has increased its mission to feed the hungry across 20 counties of South Carolina. Harvest Hope distributed over 27.5 million meals last year and fed approximately 48,000 people a week. Imagine how many plastic bags it took to distribute that much food!?!? On average Harvest Hope goes through approximately 2000 bags per day. As we move into the Holiday Seasons those numbers will increase. Our plan is to deliver enough bags to help Harvest Hope distribute the needed food to families in need throughout the Holidays. Please save and donate your plastic grocery bags! We will have collection boxes all throughout the school for you to deposit the bags in or contact RCSD Deputy Pounds, Bridge Creeks School Resource Officer at
803-462-3900 ext 32458 for more information. |