By Melissa Somers, Executive Director, CPP of SoCal<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cALONE WE CAN<\/strong> do so little; together we can do so much.\u201d ~ Helen Keller Recently there has been a surge in a type of fraud that hasn\u2019t been seen for a few years. The scam involves unauthorized POs being used to rent or purchase equipment. Suspects purposely hit a few stores in one county and then hit again in another jurisdiction. They are working the system and banking on the fact that the victims and those on the right side of the law won\u2019t be communicating with each other.<\/p>\n One very important role that the Crime Prevention Program of Southern California (CPP SOCAL) plays is that of a liaison between our members and law enforcement. Our members\u2019 thefts are shared directly with our contacts in law enforcement throughout the region, putting their incident front and center on the radar of those officers directly involved in construction theft. Recently a detective was referred to me for assistance: He asked if I knew anyone else working a case that involved the use of fraudulent POs to rent or purchase equipment. While his case took place in Riverside County, I would ask around for information on any cases in the Southern California region that had used the same or similar scam. If anything came across my radar in the Western United States, I\u2019d be sure to share that with him, too.<\/p>\n CPP sent out a bulletin asking our members to contact us if they had been a victim of this scam. A follow-up phone call to one member proved very informative. It turns out that this member company had experienced an incident involving this same scam. While their thefts took place in Los Angeles County, they occurred in the same month as the Riverside County incident and even involved the use of fraudulent POs taken from the same construction company as the one used in the Riverside County thefts. In the LA County thefts, these fraudulent POs were used to steal equipment and supplies from a multitude of companies. (Watch for updates on this and other cases in CPP member bulletins).<\/p>\n The need to tie together cases from multiple jurisdictions can help give law enforcement the much-needed information to facilitate the arrest and prosecution of the thieves, thereby reducing similar thefts in the future. In many cases, smaller crimes often lead to larger ones and the more criminal charges you can pin on any one individual, the higher the chances can become for a successful prosecution.<\/p>\n So what does all this mean to you?<\/p>\n Crime is out there. Unfortunately, the reality is you are going to be a victim of a crime at some point in time. Our first line of defense is to do all we can to prevent<\/p>\n \u2759\u2759\u2002THE NEED TO TIE TOGETHER CASES FROM MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS CAN HELP GIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT THE MUCH-NEEDED INFORMATION TO FACILITATE THE ARREST AND PROSECUTION OF THE THIEVES, THEREBY REDUCING SIMILAR THEFTS IN THE FUTURE. \u2759\u2759<\/strong><\/p>\n a theft from occurring. It\u2019s also important to keep in mind that the steps you take when you experience a theft can make quite a difference in the likelihood of a recovery and a notable difference in the reduction of crime in your area. Reporting your theft, of any nature, is important because it:<\/p>\n When reported, CPP members\u2019 thefts are shared with our law enforcement and National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) contacts, enabling more targeted information sharing and a \u201cleg up\u201d on increasing your chances of recovery.<\/p>\n We all know that in this day and age, it takes so much more to actually put someone behind bars when they commit a crime. Back in my day, if a person broke the law, they went to jail. (And gas was $.35 a gallon and I walked to school, uphill, both ways!) Nowadays, overcrowded jails, decreased public resources, poor communication, legislation, among other items, make it incredibly difficult \u2014 and frustrating \u2014 for victims, law enforcement officers and prosecuting attorneys to feel like they\u2019re having any effect on crime. The good ol\u2019 days might be a thing of the past, but that\u2019s all the more reason we need to stick together and encourage communication so that we\u2019re taking an active role in ending these types of crimes. Because, \u201ctogether, we make a difference!\u201d<\/p>\n\n