• Tell a reliable person the route you plan to take and when you expect to be back.
• Vary your exercise times and routes. Individuals who commit crimes such as assault, indecent exposure, rape, robbery, and theft frequently try to predict a potential victim's schedule.
• Avoid using headphones because they mask important danger signs, such as a person approaching from behind.
• Trust your instincts. If you believe you are being followed, don't hesitate to request help from other citizens.

It's appropriate - and important - to call 9-1-1:

• If you see a theft occur.
• If you are a victim of any crime.
• If you or anyone else requires immediate police, fire or medical assistance

As a park visitor, here's what you can do to help if you witness a crime:

• Call 9-1-1 to help a victim and/or assist in the identification of a suspect or if you, or anyone else, requires immediate police, fire or medical assistance.

Take time, when safely possible, to obtain information regarding any suspect. Whenever possible, obtain a car license number and a physical description of both the suspect and the car. There are precautions you can take to reduce the likelihood of theft of your personal property during a park visit.

Prevent Theft from Your Car
Did you know that there are criminals that frequent areas where people are likely to leave valuables in vehicles? Please help reduce your chance of becoming a victim.

• Lock valuables in your trunk before arriving at a park or take them with you when you leave your vehicle. Planning ahead can decrease your chance of being a victim.
• Lock your doors and close your windows.
• Watch for suspicious people circling the area in a vehicle or loitering where they can observe cars being parked. Call 9-1-1 with a description of the suspicious person, the exact location and if possible, provide a license number.

Prevent Theft of Your Bicycle
Follow these tips to help prevent bicycle theft.

• Lock your unattended bike, even if it will be unattended just for a minute.
• Use a high quality hardened steel U-shaped lock. Avoid locks that can easily be cut, picked, or broken.
• Never allow a stranger to ride a bike even if the person promises to just go a short distance. Often bike thieves lie, saying they just want to try the bike out by riding a short distance. However, once they start riding they never return.
• Record the bike's serial number and keep it in a safe place, with the sales receipt and a photograph of the bike.

Help Catch Thieves
Follow these suggestions to help the Palos Park Police prevent or respond to the theft of a bicycle or other personal property.

• Be observant of individuals loitering near parked bikes or cars. The loitering persons may be planning to steal a bike or something from an unattended car. Sometimes thieves use a tool to cut or break a bike lock or to enter a locked car
• Notice a suspicious person's race, age, size, hair color, facial features and clothing. Memorize as much as you can about the suspect, beginning with the person's head and working down toward the person's feet. Obtain names, if possible, of the suspect and companions.
• Call the police at 911 when suspicious persons are present near bikes or when any crime might occur.
• Share these crime prevention tips with your family and friends.

Did you know...

...that bike riders are required to obey all traffic laws that drivers of cars are expected to obey? This includes stopping at stop signs and red lights, riding on the correct side of the road and yielding the right of way at uncontrolled intersections.

...that when the police find a bike they probably will not be able to locate the owner? In such cases, the bike is sold at an auction.

...that a bike helmet can decrease the severity of a bike accident head injury and maybe even save your life?

The Palos Park Police Department needs your help to prevent vandalism and apprehend individuals who vandalize our parks and recreational facilities.

Why it's important to stop vandalism?
If you think vandalism isn't your problem, think again. Here are a few reasons why vandalism hurts everyone.
Vandalism destroys what your tax dollars have created. Each year vandals destroy thousands of dollars' worth of park facilities and equipment funded by tax dollars. A few minutes of destructive "fun" can add up to huge losses for our parks.

Vandalism takes dollars away from recreational programs and facilities. It costs money to repair or replace whatever a vandal's actions have destroyed.

Vandalism is not cool. Damaging public property through vandalism is both cowardly and un-cool

Help Stop Vandalism
Here's what you can do to help prevent and address vandalism.

• Always call 9-1-1 to report any crime in progress, including vandalism.