In an effort to encourage our citizens to become an active part of our crime fighting team, we provide information on a monthly basis about the types of crimes that are occurring and where they are occurring.  It is our hope that by informing the citizens of our community about the different crimes that the citizens will take steps to avoid becoming a victim themselves, also to encourage citizens to help us watch for and report any crimes that they observe.

By all of us working together, we hope to reduce crime in your neighborhood and in our community.  What can you do to avoid becoming a victim?

• Lock your doors to your house and your car
• Do not leave valuables in plain view in your car
• When shopping keep your purse on your arm or strap it into the cart - do NOT leave your cart and purse unattended
• Make sure that while you are shopping that your purse is zipped or snapped close
• Cut away high growing shrubs and trees around the windows to your house
• Report anything suspicious when it is occurring!

Crash Locations

Do you want to know how many crashes occur and where they are occurring?  We provide citizens with a snapshot view of the community and how many crashes occur.  What can the public do to help us reduce the number of crashes?  Please follow these simple tips and help to avoid becoming a statistic:

• Slow Down!   One of the biggest causes of crashes is speeding vehicles.
• Stop for those Yellow Lights!  In Oregon, a yellow light means that your right of way is about to be terminated and you SHALL stop, unless to do so would be unsafe.  Speeding up to get through an intersection is NOT safe.  Please stop for those yellow lights.
• Keep distance between you and the vehicle ahead of you!  Following too closely is another reason that many people are involved in crashes.  Keep a reasonable distance between you and the car ahead of you and pay attention to the actions of drivers around you.
• Concentrate on driving the car!  Many people make the poor decision that when they are in their car driving that they are also going to talk on their cell phone, put on their makeup, search for CD's, read a book, shave, and many other things that distract the driver from their duties and obligations of driving their car safely.  Remember, this can constitute careless driving and result in a crash, injuries, and a citation.

Unfortunately cars get stolen in Grants Pass and Josephine County.  We provide our citizens with a list of the stolen vehicles and ask that they keep an eye out and if they see a stolen vehicle to please call 9-1-1 immediately and report their observations.  Do NOT take any action that will put you in harm.  Call 9-1-1 and let a police officer recover the stolen vehicle.

Why are cars stolen in Grants Pass and Josephine County?  Sometimes it is because people leave their vehicles unlocked, leave their keys in the vehicle, leave their vehicles running while they go into a store or a house, or sometimes it is because the make and model of their vehicle fits the national profile of the most stolen vehicle for the year.

Whatever the reason, there are things that you can do to prevent your vehicle from being stolen.  The simplest method is locking your vehicle.  In addition here are a few more tips to help you avoid having your vehicle stolen:

• Park your car in a well lit area
• Park your car in an enclosed and locked garage, if possible
• Do not hide a key on your vehicle that is easily found
• Avoid parking your car in secluded dark areas
• Do not leave valuables in plain view in your vehicle, this draws attention to your vehicle
• If you hear your car alarm going off, don't ignore the alarm - check your vehicle
• If you hear a car alarm going off, even if it isn't your car - look for anyone suspicious around the vehicle