911 Note to all parents...

We would like to remind all parents how important it is to teach your children about 911. Explain to them how to use 911 and give them examples of when they should call 911. Make sure your child understands the way to properly use 911. Also try to teach your child your home address and phone number. This is important in case they are calling from a cell phone.

 

One thing you might want to try is a roll play. Have your child act like they are calling 911 and you act like you are the 911 operater. You can ask them the important questions: What is your emergency? Where are you? What is your address? What is your phone number? Is anyone there with you? What is your name? How old are you? What is your mommy's or daddy's name?

 

Another note...We all know kids love to play with our old cell phones but if they have a charge on the battery they can still call 911. Yes, eventhough the cell phone is not activated through a service provider it can still be used to call 911. We ask you to please remove the battery from the old phone before you give it to your child.

Reminder........

We would like to remind everyone to always be aware of your surroundings! If you see someone out of place or a strange vehicle in the area at any time please call the police department to have the situation checked out. This is expecially important at night. If someone unexpectedly knocks on your door late at night or very early in the morning and you do not recognize them BEFORE you open the door call the police department 979-345-5121 or 911. Never open your door for someone you do not know. Also make sure you lock all of your doors and windows when you are sleeping or leaving your residence. 

***Fraudulent Inmate Phone Calls/Scams***

Fraudulent Inmate Phone Calls/Scams

11/05/2008

 

If you receive a telephone call originating from the Harris County Jail, from an unknown caller, who requests you to call a number for him/her preceded by *72, please hang-up immediately! This is a common call forwarding scam.

 

The caller may seem genuine, and may even say something to the effect of, “Please help, I’ve been arrested for traffic tickets. I was supposed to pick up my children from school, this was my only phone call and I dialed the wrong number. Please dial *72 xxx-xxx-xxxx for me so I can check on my children.” Or, the caller may claim to be a deputy sheriff or police officer, and may say something to the effect of, “This is Officer So-And-So. A member of your family has been arrested (or been involved in a traffic accident) in Houston. He/She gave us your telephone number and asked that you contact him/her at the following number *72 xxx-xxx-xxxx.”

 

Unfortunately, if you follow the caller’s instructions, your phone will be “call forwarded” to the number provided by the inmate. All future calls to your telephone number will bypass your phone and ring at the number you entered after dialing *72. The inmate will now continue to dial your telephone number but your phone will not ring. All inmate collect calls, accepted by the person at the other number, will be charged to you.

 

What you should do

 

  • Immediately dial 873 to cancel “call forwarding”
  • Contact your telephone service provider and report the fraud to them
  • If you desire, contact SBC at 1-800-984-8800 to have calls originating from the Harris County Jail blocked

 

If you have unauthorized charges on your telephone bill as a result of the scam, please notify your telephone service provider for corrective action.

 

To contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Department, dial 719-221-6700; Harris County Jail, dial 713-755-5300; or visit them on the Web at http://www.hcso.hctx.net

 

Source: Harris County Sheriff’s Department
   
   
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