Internet Safety

The number of Identity Theft and Internet related crimes continues to grow each year. There are several precautions you can take to protect yourself and your identity. If you know or believe that you have been a victim of Identity Theft or an Internet crime the information below will assist you intaking the appropriate action in filing a police report.

Basic Tips for Safe Computer & Internet Use:

Do business only with companies and websites that you know and trust. Avoid doing business with a company located in another country unless you have prior positive dealings or are able to verify a good business history. Investigating disputes or attempting criminal prosecution is very difficult when crossing state or country borders.

Always know the terms and conditions of any services or product offer. The Federal Telephone and Mail Order Rule requires delivery of promised goods within 30 days. NEVER provide credit card numbers, bank accounts numbers, or your social security number unless your are certain that you trust the company. A criminal only needs partial information in most cases to steal your identity and possibly cause serious financial problems for you.

Using a credit card whenever possible is a good way to protect yourself from fraud. It will is much easier to dispute a charge when paid by a credit card and most credit card companies offer a greater deal of personal protection than if you pay by check or money order. Most legitimate companies will accept credit cards as well as provide a receipt of the transaction.

Additional Internet Safety Tips

• Secure Encryption Technology will provide a safer means of paying online. Look for an "s" at the end of "http://", such as "https://...."
• Be careful about who you are talking to online. Many times an online user is not who they represent themselves to be! If you receive an email containing an attachment, image or other type of file from an email address or person you are not familiar with, DO NOT open the file. Report unsolicited email (also called "spamming") to your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
• Never share account IDs and Passwords.
• When creating screen names, do not use personal information like as birthdays, interests, hometown or school.
• Never give any personal information about yourself or someone else through email or chat websites.
• Don't share photos of yourself, your family, or your home with people you meet online.
• If you receive threatening, harassing or intimidating emails or messages online, don't respond. If the activity continues consider reporting it to us.
• Nothing you write on the Web is completely private. Be careful what you write and to whom.
• Never make plans to meet someone you have met online in person.

If you are the victim of Identity Theft or an Internet Crime:

Identity Theft and Internet crimes by nature are very complex investigations. Often these investigations take months and are investigated by multiple agencies. As part of our commitment to the community we will do everything within our power to bring criminal prosecution to these "invisible criminals."

If you are a resident of Green Oak Township you may call 9-1-1 to file a complaint with a police officer. The investigation officer may also ask you to to file your complaint online with the F.B.I.'s National White Collar Crime Center's Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) and the Michigan Department of Attorney General's High Tech Crime Unit (HTCU).

If you believe you are a victim of an internet crime, email fraud or email stalking, or a victim of Identity Theft we encourage you to file a formal complaint by calling 911 and speaking with an officer.

Curfew

In Michigan, the curfew for children under 12 years of age lasts from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., while the curfew for children between the ages of 12 and 16 is from midnight to 6 am

In addition to administering a curfew, Michigan state law makes it a misdemeanor for anyone over the age of 16 to assist someone younger in unlawfully violating a curfew. The law also permits local jurisdictions to create stricter curfew laws for minors. For example, the city of Algonac states that curfew for anyone under 16 years old begins at 10 p.m. Green Oak Township adheres to the above State law regarding curfew.

Stranger Danger

Statistically crimes against children are committed by someone the child knows! The concept of “Stranger Danger” while a good place to start, has been shown to have some flaws in it's methodology.

Who do you consider to be a stranger to your child? A neighbor your child sees frequently but does not know well? The school bus driver? A mom of one of the kids at school? It is best NOT to teach your child about “strangers.” Instead, teach them to judge the entire situation and make smart choices. Children are not always able to accurately discern a safe person or a safe situation, so they need to think and act carefully in order to remain safe.

There are many tactics that are used to convince children to do something. Stories of a lost pet, friendliness, emergency, need for assistance, quick money, and authority are a few of the main ones. You should teach your children check with the adult who is in charge of them at the time to avoid the possibility of making the wrong decision. They should be taught that if there is a time when talking to a trusted adult is not feasible, they need to evaluate the entire situation and rely upon their gut feeling. They need to Think, Judge, and Act smartly and safely.

Child Identification

In addition to danger warnings, programs from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, local law enforcement agencies and other organizations offer free fingerprinting services usually done in schools, child care centers, shopping malls, fairs, and festivals. Parents/guardians are provided with child identification sheets to use in cases of child abduction and other emergencies. Child identification sheets include the child's fingerprints, photo and other personal data. Neither the FBI nor any other law enforcement agency retains this information.

Concealed Pistol Permits

The applicant must file their application with the county clerk in the county in which he or she resides. The application shall be signed under oath by the applicant. The oath shall be administered by the county clerk or his or her representative. A fillable and printable PDF application can be found on the Michigan State Police website.

Purchasing a Firearm

You must be at least 18 years old to buy a pistol from a private seller. You must be 21 years old or older to buy a pistol from a federal firearms licensed dealer (FFL).

Safe Firearms Storage

Firearm ownership carries with it a responsibility of safeguarding the welfare of others and you when handling firearms. Accident prevention is the users responsibility. It is the responsibility of a firearm owner to know what the law is pertaining to ownership, possession, transportation and use of firearms.

On a semi-automatic firearm, you should keep the safety on and/or action open unless firing. It is advisable to have a serious discussion with family members concerning a firearm and stressing the danger of careless or unsafe use. You may be criminally and civilly liable for any harm caused by a person less than 18 years of age who lawfully gains unsupervised access to your firearm if unlawfully stored. As such, a trigger lock, gun case or other device designed to prevent unauthorized access to a firearm is strongly recommended.

Alcoholic beverages and controlled substances should be avoided when using firearms. Possession and use of firearms while under the influence is unlawful and constitutes a reckless disregard for safety.

The improper storage of a firearm at home could result in the arming of a criminal breaking into the home or the injury or death of a child who discovers the firearm and plays with it.

Hunter's Safety Classes

Michigan's Hunter Education Program Safe hunting begins with hunter education, which has had a dramatic impact on reducing hunting incidents in Michigan. Hunting is safe and getting safer! Hunter safety is required if you were born after January 1, 1960 and you want to purchase any Michigan hunting license, or if you are planning an out-of-state hunting trip.

Texting While Driving

Driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. Driving is a visual task and non-driving activities that draw the driver's eyes away from the roadway should always be avoided. As of July 1, 2010, Michigan law prohibits texting while driving. For a first offense, motorists are fined $100. Subsequent offenses cost $200.

Graduated Drivers License

Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) is a driver licensing system designed to teach teens to drive by gradually increasing their driving privileges as they advance through the system. GDL consists of two segments of driver education instruction and three licensing levels.

The three licensing levels in GDL are: a supervised learner's license (Level 1 License), an intermediate license that limits passengers and unsupervised nighttime driving (Level 2 License), and a full-privilege driver's license (Level 3 License) issued after a teen driver has successfully completed all previous instruction and driving requirements. GDL license levels 1 and 2 have certain restrictions to limit teens' driving exposure to high-risk situations and help protect them while they are learning to drive.

Kelsey's Law

Teen drivers with a Level 1 or Level 2 Graduated Driver License take note! If you use a mobile phone while driving, you risk being ticketed by a law enforcement officer. Under state law, you are prohibited from initiating a call, answering a call, or listening to or engaging in verbal communication through a mobile phone. If ticketed, you could receive up to $295 in fines and costs.

This does not apply if you are using a voice-operated system integrated into the vehicle or if you are using a phone to: Report a traffic accident, medical emergency or serious road hazard. Report a situation in which you believe your personal safety is in jeopardy. Report or prevent a crime or potential crime against yourself or another person.

Driving is a privilege that requires skill, practice, judgment and responsibility. As a young driver, your attention needs to be focused on the road, not on the phone. We encourage you to keep yourselves, passengers and other motorists safe. You should obey the law, and not talk on the phone while driving. The law banning mobile phone use, called Kelsey's Law, is named in honor of Kelsey Raffaele, 17, of Sault Ste. Marie, who died in a mobile phone-related automobile crash in 2010.

Booster Seat Law (newborn to 3 years of age)

Michigan's child booster seat law requires children to be properly buckled in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4-feet-9-inches tall. Children must ride in a seat until they reach the age requirement or the height requirement, whichever comes first. The child restraint system may be either a child seat with harness straps or a booster seat (no-back or high-back), depending on the child's weight. It must be used in accordance with the child restraint manufacturer's and vehicle manufacturer's instructions and applicable federal standards.

An operator of a motor vehicle transporting a child who is found responsible for not placing the child in a child restraint can be fined $25 for a civil infraction. The child restraint requirement does not apply to passengers of a school bus or those in other motor vehicles not required to be equipped with safety belts under federal law. The law was amended to require child restraints because of serious injuries that can result when a child is too small to wear a seatbelt properly. When a child's lap belt is worn on the abdomen rather than the pelvis, or when a shoulder strap is worn across the neck rather than the shoulder and ribcage, severe bodily injuries can result if an accident occurs.

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2003, children between the ages of 4 and 7 who use child restraint systems are 59 percent less likely to be injured than children secured by seat-belts alone.

Seatbelt Law (ages 4 and up)

Michigan has a primary seat belt law, which means law enforcement can stop and ticket motorists solely for not being buckled up. The law requires:

Passengers 8-15 to buckle up in all seating positions and drivers and front seat passengers to be buckled up at all times.

Michigan "Move Over" Law

Under Michigan's Emergency Vehicle Caution Law, more commonly known as the Move Over Law, motorists must move over for stationary emergency vehicles with their lights activated or slow down and pass with caution if it is not possible to safely change lanes. The law applies to police, fire, rescue, ambulance, wrecker and road service vehicles. According to the Federal Highway Administration, approximately 20,000 emergency workers are injured every year responding to traffic incidents across the country.

Pick-Up Truck (riding in the bed)

It is unlawful for any person under the age of 18 to ride in the open bed of a pickup at a speed greater than 15 miles per hour on a public roadway. MCL 257.682b covers this in detail.