Our network

Crime

Collierville police encourage shoppers to stay safe

Collierville police encourage shoppers to stay safe

The Collierville Police Department is using social media to remind holiday shoppers to stay safe and take extra care to protect yourself and your purchases.

Some of the tips Collierville police want to remind people about is to try to shop before dark, and stay off your cell phone while walking to and from your vehicle.

These are just a few tips the police department posted to its Facebook page to remind you to stay safe while spending your money this holiday season.

Here are a few other tips provided by CPD:

Series of home burglaries reported in Collierville

Series of home burglaries reported in Collierville

(WMC-TV) – A series of home burglaries has Collierville residents on high alert.

According to Collierville police, all three burglaries happened on the morning of Wednesday, October 10 in the Schilling Farms area.

The first burglary reported happened on Calumet Farms Drive at 10 a.m. The second and third burglaries happened right next to each other on Russell Farms Road and were reported at 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

E-mails have been circulating throughout the neighborhoods encouraging residents to keep their eyes peeled for anything suspicious. 

Police say the suspect is a black man, about 5’10” to 6’1” and he was driving a small, black car. 

If you have any information about the crimes, or if you see anything suspicious in your neighborhood, you are encouraged to contact police.

BBQ cooker worth $15k is missing in Memphis

BBQ cooker worth $15k is missing in Memphis

(WMC-TV) – A BBQ cooking trailer worth $15,000 was stolen over the weekend.

The trailer was used and owned by The Republic of Swina’s barbecue team that took second place in one of this year’s Memphis in May competitions.

According to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the cooker was taken from a facility off of Shelby Drive.

It is a 15-foot trailer with a smoker, fridge, flooring, and cabinets built into it. 

If you have any information that can help this BBQ team track down their award winning cooking trailer, contact Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.

Copyright 2012 WMC-TV. All rights reserved.

How to shield your smart phone from hacking

How to shield your smart phone from hacking

Cyber-criminals can hack your smart phone just like they'd hack your computer.

A spokesperson for ProtectMyID.com, an identity protection service sold by credit bureau Experian, said one in every seven of those hackers is a friend or relative of their victims. They call that "friendly fraud."

Doesn't sound very friendly to me.

These are user-friendly, though. They are ProtectMyID.com's tips to prevent smart phone hacking:

* Password protect your phone with a unique password. Use different passwords for each online account. The Secret Service recommends passwords with at least eight characters, mixing letters, numbers, symbols and cases.

* When finished, log out of applications that automatically access payment information.

PACE to host Safety Day for Kids

Memphis City School's Division of Parent and Community Engagement (PACE) is sponsoring a Safety Day for Kids.

This is an opportunity to teach children about fire safety and prevention, emergency preparedness during a storm or earthquake and stranger danger. Local firefighters, police officers, paramedics and McGruff the Crime Dog will be on hand to teach families techniques to avoid stranger danger and demonstrate life-saving methods to keep children safe. Parents will also receive fingerprinting kits and I.D. badges for children in case of an emergency.

What:   Safety Day for Kids

When:  Tuesday, September 11, 2012, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Where: Children’s Museum of Memphis, 2525 Central Avenue

For more information or to RSVP, call (901) 416-7264. 

Wallet stolen? Do this now!

Wallet stolen? Do this now!

(WMC-TV) - I can't emphasize enough how consumers should consider exclusively using credit cards to buy stuff, then pay off the balances immediately.

Under federal law, you're never liable for more than $50 of any disputed charge on your credit card. Most card-issuers offer zero liability now to attract customers. You can't count on that kind of protection if your debit card or cash is stolen.