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Some of us like to swipe more than the sly fox on Dora the Explorer. But be careful with credit and debit card use. Your identity could be stolen when a hacker breaches retail-store data systems.

Greensboro police are teaming up with the WQMG radio station (97.1 FM) in the Back-to-School Supply Drive to give area students the tools they need to succeed this school year.

They ask that you drop off donations of backpacks, notebooks, pencils, paper and other school supplies today from 4-6 p.m. at the Eastern Operations Substation at 1106 Maple St.

For more information, contact Bobby Edwards at 373-2107 or Anne Gregory at 373-2636.

The N.C. Attorney General's Office is applauding several laws that got approval recently from the General Assembly.

What do you think of these initiatives? Are they a steps in the right direction? Go too far? or not far enough?

Are there other crime prevention or consumer protection issues that you feel state lawmakers should tackle?

From a Friday news release:

Raleigh: The General Assembly agreed this session to important initiatives that will save homeowners and neighborhoods from foreclosure, protect consumers from identity theft, and give people better access to their government, Attorney General Roy Cooper said today.

“In these tough economic times it’s more important than ever to keep up our fight against crimes and scams,” Cooper said. “We fought successfully to preserve our core law enforcement mission in the face of serious budget cuts and we also won more protections for struggling consumers.”

New laws championed by Cooper that won approval during the recent legislative session will:

* Help consumers facing home foreclosures and unfair debt collections

Cooper pushed for the Consumer Economic Protection Act, Senate Bill 974, to help consumers who are facing difficult economic times. The measure fights unnecessary foreclosures and preserves communities and property values by ensuring that consumers and their mortgage lenders have the chance to voluntarily resolve foreclosures. The new law also protects North Carolina consumers from unfair debt collection practices by debt buyers, a new breed of aggressive debt collectors that pursue old debts even if they’ve already been settled or paid.

* Give NC consumers more protections against identity theft, including free security freezes

A security freeze prevents an identity thief from opening new accounts or taking out credit in your name. Starting October 1, North Carolina consumers can place a security freeze on their credit reports for free under Senate Bill 1017. Cooper pushed for the change so that more North Caronia consumers can use this tool to protect themselves from identity theft.

Senate Bill 1017 also makes North Carolina the first state in the nation to require credit monitoring services to tell consumers how they can get credit reports for free by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com or calling 1-877-322-8228. In addition, the new law allows Registers of Deeds and Clerks of Court to remove consumers’ Social Security numbers from their websites, prevents creditors from reporting victims’ debts caused by criminals to national credit bureaus, and requires businesses and state and local government agencies to report all security breaches to Cooper’s office, not just those that impact 1,000 people or more.

* Make public information about patient deaths at state hospitals

Cooper called for a new law to require disclosure of patient deaths and other incidents at state mental health facilities. Senate Bill 799 will also apply to state facilities that treat people for developmental disabilities and substance abuse. Cooper backed the measure because he believes better disclosure will help ensure patients’ safety. Cooper’s Medicaid Investigations Unit is currently investigating and prosecuting a number of incidents of patient abuse at state facilities.

* Create an Open Government Unit in the AG’s Office to resolve public records disputes

Under House Bill 1134, Cooper will start an Open Government Unit in his office to mediate public records and open meetings issues so that disputes can be resolved without costly court battles. The Unit will also develop programs to educate the public and government agencies about public records and open meetings laws and make state laws, opinions and other rules on public records and open government available to the public. Cooper and the N.C. Press Association have previously teamed up to publish a Guide to Open Government, available at www.ncdoj.gov.

* Establish a Financial Literacy Council to help NC students learn financial smarts

Cooper backed Senate Bill 1019 to help North Carolina students learn how to manage money and make smart financial decisions. The measure establishes a North Carolina Financial Literacy Council in Cooper’s Department of Justice. The 18-member Council will include representatives from government, private finance, and consumer groups who will work to identify best practices in financial education programs, coordinate existing programs, and propose policy for financial education in K-12 classes, community colleges and universities.

On Tuesday, dozens of neighborhoods around Guilford County will partipicate in National Night Out, the annual crime- and drug-prevention event that brings communities and police together for a fun evening. Check out a list of events in Greensboro, High Point and other areas.

Though we may not admit it, there are nosy neighbors in all of our neighborhoods. And from time to time, suspicions may arise about the new neighbors moving in down the street.

Now, through a tool available through the N.C. Attorney General’s Office, you can be notified via your inbox if those new neighbors have been convicted of a sexual offense and placed on the sex offender registry.

Simply go to the N.C. Attorney General’s recently redesigned Web Site and hover your pointer over “Protect Yourself” in the toolbar; from there, click on Find Sex Offenders. (or click that link).

There, you can sign up your e-mail address through the Web site and be notified if a registered sex offender moves into your area.

It’s a helpful tool, but is by no means a cure-all for concerns regarding sexual predators. Numerous offenders end up having warrants filed against them for failing to register a new address when they move, and thus they obviously won’t show up on the Web site.

The N.C. Attorney General’s Web Site also has plenty of great consumer tips on protecting yourself from identity theft, scams and numerous other crime issues. It also features the SBI's Most Wanted fugitive list and solicits tips for unsolved crimes across the state.

It’s definitely worth book-marking for those looking to stay on top of the latest crime trends.
 

Henry Louis Gates Jr. We have heard the Harvard professor’s name many times these past two weeks over his arrest at his Massachusetts home. We have heard the 911 call in which Lucia Whalen requests that police investigate two men she thought were burglars entering the house. She doesn’t identify his race until the emergency operator asks if he’s black, white or Hispanic.

Gates-gate brings up a provocative question: Why identify race in suspect descriptions?

Identifying race can help make arrests, if race is identified with other distinctive characteristics.

It helps no one to write "Greensboro police are looking for a Black man with a medium-build in his 30s who is suspected of stealing a blue van Monday night."

This description is vague. What constitutes a medium build? How many men fit this description in Greensboro? Hundreds and hundreds.

A vague description might not lead to an arrest because it gives law enforcement a broad category from which to find the one culprit. Such descriptions also could foster established stereotypes and promote discriminatory practices, let's say, against all 30-something black men with medium builds.

The News & Record crime reporting policy mandates that race is only identified if it is essential to the understanding of the story. If race is described, then the suspect’s height, weight, build, hair, age, clothing and vehicle also should be described. Describing distinctive scars and tattoos is even better. Case in point, today’s story about a cop impersonator chasing a woman.

Sometimes the authorities don't provide a writer with a full description of the suspect, but reporters try to give readers information that advances the story and assists law enforcement.
 

The annual crime prevention event, National Night Out, is quickly approaching. It will take place August 4. NNO, sponsored by the Greensboro police, is designed to:

1. Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness;
2. Generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime programs;
3. Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police community partnerships; and
4. Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

Many neighborhoods party for prevention by holding block parties, cookouts, parades, flashlight walks, and even contests. Last year, nearly 115 neighborhoods in Greensboro got in on the action.

The News & Record wants to know how your neighborhood will celebrate the National Night Out. So tell us what’s going on.

The burglary rate both city and county-wide have spiked in June as bored teenagers have been left with nothing to do during the day.

Some of it can be credited to the economy and all of us can say the days of leaving our doors unlocked at night is a thing of the past.

So we ask, have you been targeted recently? Did anything you do thwart an attempted robbery?

Have you made any changes to protect yourself since then?

Any tips on what does and doesn't work?

From our Web site today: 

PLEASANT GARDEN – Pleasant Garden parents are invited to bring their children to the town’s first “Safety and Health Day for Kids,” next Tuesday.

The event is designed to teach school-aged children about general safety, including sessions related to safety related to bicycles, ATVs, animals, insects, the sun, water, first aid and more.

There will also be child fingerprinting and a bike rodeo, in which participants will receive a free helmet, which will be fitted on site.
In the afternoon, there will be Tdap vaccinations for rising 6th graders, HPV information and vaccinations and free dental and vision screenings.

The bike rodeo is open to kids age 8 to 12 years old and pre-registration is required. Those interested can call town hall at 674-3002.

Parents whose children are receiving vaccinations are encouraged to bring along proof of medical insurance and any required co-pay.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pleasant Garden Town Hall, located at 4920 Alliance Church Road.

Anyone seeking further information, or has questions about the event should call town hall.