Sheriff`s Corner

Hi, welcome to the Sheriff's Corner. I'd like to continue our topic concerning crime and our senior citizens. This week we'll talk about those very irritating phone calls. The ones that seem to happen at dinnertime and on Sundays.

You know you don't have to answer some of those calls. "Caller Id" is a good way to screen calls and keep "if you are home" a secret. There are other calls that, I feel, require a different response. If you get a lot of nuisance and annoying calls, including late night, wrong number and hanging up calls contact the security rep for your local phone company. If the call is obscene, hang up but there is no need to slam the phone down. Also if you have Caller Id, you can give the number to us if we investigate for you. If the call is threatening, call us or your Police Department immediately. Next try not to be drawn into a conversation with an unknown caller. They can trick you into revealing you name, address, marital status to see if you're alone. Never let a caller get you angry or upset. They're looking for this and you can reveal more when you're upset or angry.

Also, we don't recommend that you stay on the phone with these people just to play detective. It's important to not play counselor also. These callers either have problems or are committing a crime when they are fraudulent or threatening. So call us.

Lastly and generally speaking, when someone you don't know gets you on the phone and starts talking in a way that makes you uncomfortable, be polite but end the call. You can also request that you be contacted by mail from companies you know or do business with if you are more comfortable communicating this way.

The phone is not supposed to be annoying. It's supposed to help make things convenient and easier. The phone is a necessity and a pleasure when dealing with family and friends. If you have any questions give me a call. Take care.

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