The GPD wants you to be aware of Services available to citizens (pending completion)

Bicycle Patrol: Bicycle patrol officers attend a one week, physically intensive, Law Enforcement Bicycle Patrol Course offered by the Municipal Police Training Council. Upon completion Officer's learn many skills including, riding up & down stairs, suspect contacts, obstacle avoidance, controlled riding and basic bicycle maintenance. Officers patrol at special functions including parades, and the summer festival. Proper use of the bicycle allows Officers to gain access to areas not easily accessible by patrol cars, as well as being able to move around high crime areas with a silent approach.

Child safety Seat Inspections: Officers attend extensive schooling on the proper installation of various types and brands of child safety seats. Each Officer is certified to inspect and install child restraint seats, as well as educate the citizens they may come in contact with.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 14 and under. It is estimated that 9 out of 10 children under the age of 4 are improperly restrained.

Tips:

1. Children under 7 years of age must be restrained in a child restraint system.
2. The safest place to install a car seat is usually the center of the back seat.
3. Fasten the harness retaining clip at armpit level.
4. Keep harness straps snug (should be able to slip only 1 finger between harness straps and the child’s collar bone).
5. Fasten seat belt tightly and make sure car seat cannot move more than about one inch forward or sideward. It is okay for the ..top of a rear-facing seat to tip up toward the back of the vehicle.
6. For cars with leather seats, place a thin, rubberized pad (shelf liner) between the leather seats and the car seat to help reduce ..slippage.
7. Children 12 and under should ride in the back seat, away from air bags.
8. Children under the age of 16 riding in the back seat must wear seat belts.
* On April 19, 2005 subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 1229- of the Vehicle and Traffic Law are amended to create an exemption from the booster seat requirement, provided the child is restrained by a lap safety belt. The amendments allow a child under age 4, who weighs more than 40 pounds, or a child of any weight who is 4, 5 or 6 years of age, to be restrained solely by a lap safety belt if the vehicle is not equipped with combination lap and shoulder harness belts, or if those combination belts are available, but are being used to restrain other passengers under the age of 16.

*To Inquire About Upcoming Safety Seat Inspections call 243-2420

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Property Checks: The Geneseo Police Department provides a security house check service for all residents of the Village. This service is available, free of charge, to residents who will be away from their home for at least 24 hours. Call the Police Dispatcher at 243-2420 anytime before you leave. Tell the Dispatcher that you would like to be placed on a house check. The Officers will check your residence while you are away, as often as staffing allows.
Recommendations:

1. Stop the delivery of newspapers and mail while you are away and ask someone to collect those items that continue to be ...delivered on your driveway or at your doorstep. You may want to inform a trusted neighbor.
2. If you are away for more than 30 days, you should call, or make arrangements to notify, the Police again.
3. When you call the Dispatcher, we need the following information:
---Name and home telephone number
---Address
---Starting & ending dates of your absence from home
---Name and phone number of alarm system (if installed)
---Which lights are left on, which lights are on timers, where are timers located
---If you will leave televisions and/or radios turned on while you are away
---Names of person authorized to be on your premises during your absence
---Any vehicles left at the premises
Please call the Police Dispatcher when you arrive back home.

Background Checks: Persons may request a background check for employment related purposes. All requests should be made either in person with a written request or you can fax a request to the Geneseo Police Dept. attention Deb Yamonaco Fax # 243-9190.

Fingerprinting: Persons may request to be finger printed for employment or other purposes: ie pistol permit applications. The hours for finger printing are Wednesdays between 9:00a.m. and 11:00p.m.

Watch Your Car Program: The Watch Your Car Program is a further attempt to make it harder for criminals to steal a motor vehicle. Under the "VIN Etching Program", owners voluntarily have the windows on their vehicles acid-etched with the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). The etching is done by a local law enforcement agency. This method works as a deterrent against auto theft because the etched VIN cannot be altered or removed without damaging the window. "Chop shops" and criminal auto-resale rings do not want to deal with etched windows. They either make the car un-sellable or limit the sections of the car that can be removed for reuse. To schedule a date where your vehicle can be etched, and entered in the program call 243-2420.

K9 Patrol: The K9 Patrol is a two part unit consisting of Officer West and K9 partner Gil. Officer West and Gil act as a team while performing their duties, which include: suspect tracking, narcotic searches, building searches, and vehicle searches. Gil is a NYS certified K9 who has received numerous hours of extensive training. Officer West and Gil have been partners for the past five years.

Child Safety Gun Locks: The Village of Geneseo Police Department is also involved in gun safety in the home. The Geneseo Police will issue cable style locks to citizens to safely secure a weapon. When properly installed, a cable lock can render a firearm inoperable and unloadable. Cable locks are similar to the typical bicycle lock. Citizens may go to the Police Department and request a gun lock to properly secure an unloaded weapon. There is a short form which each person needs to complete for the lock to be issued.

Dog Control: The Village of Geneseo employs a dog control Officer. We maintain a working pound for any stray dogs, or pets which may have wandered from home and are located in the Village limits. Any questions in regards to a lost or nuisance dog contact our office at 243-2420, and ask to speak with Officer Dean O’keefe.