Crime Stoppers of Houston’s Response to the Death of George Floyd
As Crime Stoppers stands as the leading public safety organization, bridging the gap between law enforcement
and the community, we have spent a great deal of time processing the events that unfolded following the
horrific killing of George Floyd.
We all agree that the murder of George Floyd, and countless others, were tragic yet utterly preventable. The
officers involved were rightfully removed from their positions and criminally charged.
As a public safety organization, we support law enforcement. We do not support police brutality.
It is important to recognize the real dangers and threats that law enforcement officers face on a daily basis. With
that being said, we fully support a national response that unifies the operational practices of the 18,000 law
enforcement agencies in our nation, to include a comprehensive review and outline of all police policies and
practices regarding use of force, along with the discipline and removal of law enforcement officers when
needed and the parameters around rehiring officers who may have been terminated from other departments.
Additionally, we support new and unified techniques for training current and future officers, increasing
accountability for excessive use of force and improved data collection.
Law enforcement in our area represents the diversity of ethnicity and cultures that make up Houston. We
know that many first responders have paid the ultimate price on behalf of the citizens of Houston and Harris
County without regard to race, gender or creed.
Crime Stoppers is an organization made up of the community, represented by all and serving all, without
question. We hear the outcries of systemic racism and urge communities to come together, to listen, to respect
one another and to heal.
We understand our nation was built on peaceful protests and applaud those who are using their voices for the
betterment of all. We applaud their efforts and believe their actions can be a catalyst for positive change.
Our staff hears the stories of victims daily and a re concerned about the call for a full defunding or dismantling
of law enforcement. A systematic approach to evaluating law enforcement practices and time spent investing in
and supporting complimentary agencies is needed. Now is the time to give our nation’s law enforcement
agencies support, guidance and accountability in order to create a system of checks and balances that measure
law enforcement response.
Crime Stoppers of Houston has been focused on solving and preventing crime for forty years. We look forward
to being a part of this critical public safety conversation as the community seeks to enact positive change and
reform.
With COVID 19 in the Air, Drownings may Increase
Written by Dr. Tom and Rachel Griffiths
www.aquaticsafetygroup.com
Many parents probably believe with COVID 19 among us and many municipal swimming pools in the country either opening late or not at all this summer, there will be a decrease in drowning deaths this year. However, Water Safety Professionals around the country have a much different opinion; they believe we will see an increase in drowning rates this summer due to COVID-19. Why? As evidenced already in some counties in Florida, because children are at home all day with schools closed and parents distracted while working from home, young children have more opportunities to slip into backyard swimming pools undetected. With many public pools closed, when the weather gets hot, older youths may seek to swim in open-water ponds, streams, and lakes, without the watchful eyes of lifeguards on duty. With fewer swim lessons offered, young non-swimmers may be unable to learn how to swim this summer to become safer around the water.
When it comes to residential swimming pools, a four-sided isolation fence, whereby the backside of the house cannot serve as one side of the protective barrier, is the best way to keep toddlers and young children out of the water. Look into technology – there are a variety of pool alarms that can be installed in the pool or worn by the child that will alert adults inside when someone enters the swimming pool unnoticed. The entrance to the pool should be a self-closing, self-latching gate that is at least five feet high. Designate a Water Watcher whose sole responsibility it is to watch the kids in the water. Even if you do not have a pool, be aware if any of your neighbors, child’s friends, or family friends do. Children can slip into the water in unexpected places, especially when you do not have your own pool so it may not be at the forefront of your mind. If traveling, also be aware of any pools at vacation homes, hotel/motels, or other locations you visit and safeguard your child around the pool, making sure they are unable to access the pool area during non-swim times. If you or someone you know has a residential swimming pool, now is a good time to add these effective Layers of Protection to prevent drowning.
Warn and educate your children about swimming with a lifeguard on duty, and insist on this vitally important safety requirement. Having said that, if you take your kids to a guarded facility, put down your phone and any other handheld devices you may be carrying and watch your kids vigilantly! Just because a lifeguard is on duty and he or she looks like they are watching the water, there is no guarantee they are watching your kid. Whatever you do, if your child is invited to a pool party, do not send them alone. Go to the pool party with your child for their safety and your own piece of mind. If you child is a weak or non-swimmer, place them in a properly fitting US Coast Guard Approved Life Jacket. It is important to understand more than 50% of all drowning deaths in this country occur during group functions at aquatic facilities. In addition, we have yet to learn of a single swimming pool drowning of a child in this country while wearing a properly-fitting US coast Guard Approved Life Jacket.
For every child who dies of drowning in this country, another five non-fatal drownings occur, often with long lasting physiological, psychological, and emotional catastrophic affects (cite the CDC?). Tragically, these non-fatal drowning events can be just as devastating to families and friends as fatal drownings.
Drowning prevention tips include:
– Swim lessons, early and often.
– US Coast Guard Approved Lifejackets in ALL bodies of water for weak and non-swimmers, all the time. All swimmers, regardless of swimming ability, need life jackets in the open-water.
– Swim near a lifeguard.
– Supervise your child around the water without distractions.
– Designate a Water Watcher, dedicated to watching the kids in the water.
– Isolate your swimming pool with four-sided fencing and a self-closing, self-latching gate that is at least 48” tall (consult your local jurisdiction for specific requirements).
– Utilize technology to help safeguard children, including alarms and wearable drowning detection
technologies.
– Learn CPR and learn to swim if you are not confident in the water.
REOURCES:
Aquatic Safety Research Group, LLC: www.aquaticsafetygroup.com
National Drowning Prevention Alliance: https://ndpa.org/
American Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/water-safety/swim-safety.html
Centers for Disease Control (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/index.html
Pool Safely: https://www.poolsafely.gov/
Being Mindful of Our Children’s Safety and Our Wellbeing During a Time of Crisis
You are doing everything to protect your child from COVID-19. Now, ask yourself, what are you doing to protect your child from abuse? April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. A time when professionals bring awareness to protect children and strengthen families. A report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds. We must highlight the importance of safeguarding our children and taking care of our wellbeing.
THE IMPACT
As schools have closed, caregivers are experiencing extreme stress and making difficult decisions about childcare. The new “normal” has resulted in families experiencing additional anxiety, economic vulnerability, and, for many, a loss of income. Studies have shown that these high-risk factors have been associated with a higher probability of child abuse. You are a powerful advocate for your child, and your most important tool is to be aware and ask questions.
KEEPING OUR CHILDREN SAFE
Children deserve to be raised in an environment that is healthy, supportive, and safe. Therefore, we must remain alert for signs of abuse and neglect. Some of the common signs are:
– Withdrawal from friends or enjoyable activities
– Fear, anxiety, or a sudden loss of self-confidence
– Unexplained injuries such as bruises, burns, or fractures
– Changes in behavior or appearance such as anger, aggression, or school performance
– Self-harm or suicide attempts
– Knowledge of sexual behavior and language that is not age-appropriate
Some signs of abuse can be challenging to detect. Perpetrators of abuse are frequently manipulative and convince children to remain silent about their abuse. A child may feel ashamed, guilty, or embarrassed about the trauma they have experienced, making disclosure a complicated process.
WHAT SHOULD I DO?
If you suspect your child is being abused, speak up. It is normal to feel overwhelmed. It is crucial that you remain calm and provide unconditional support. Let your child use their own words. Resist asking follow-up questions because it can confuse them and make it harder to disclose their victimization. Validate the courage to disclose and reassure that it is not their fault. Report suspected abuse immediately by calling the Texas Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400, reporting online at www.txabusehotline.org, or calling your local law enforcement agency.
POSITIVE PARENTING
Show your child how you are coping with the pandemic and routinely check how they are feeling. Parents can best provide support to their children when they are calm. Maintaining a normal routine during a time of crisis provides children with a sense of security. Let your child know that they can talk to you. Allow them to ask questions and answer them in an age-appropriate manner. Try your best to stay engaged and connected as a family. Take this time to build stronger relationships.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
We thrive on certainty. However, every aspect of what we knew as normal has been altered by the pandemic. In times like these, our mental health can be compromised. To be able to care for others, we must first care for ourselves. Utilize coping strategies such as exercising, listening to music, journaling, and meditating. Stay connected with others through social media and phone calls. You are strong, your child is strong, and we are stronger together.
WE ARE THEIR VOICE
We must have these critical conversations with our children and stay alert. The Children’s Assessment Center will continue to focus on the prevention and intervention of child abuse and provide resources and hope to families in need.
Thank you to Children’s Assessment Center for providing us with information for this blog post. For more information, visit our website at www.cachouston.org.
2/28/20: Houston Family Magazine: Mom•Me: Rania Mankarious, CEO of Crime Stoppers of Houston
When you think of the CEO of Crime Stoppers of Houston, I wager to bet that the last image that comes to mind is a soft-spoken, petite mom of three hailing from Boston. However, as I’m sure you have found, looks can be deceiving.
Rania Mankarious made Houston her home by rolling up her sleeves and getting her hands dirty. Citing a personal mission to serve families and engage the public to better society, Mankarious did the unthinkable and made the extraordinary move of taking an internship at Crime Stoppers of Houston in 2006 – even though she was an attorney with a master’s degree. Mankarious knew she had to be a part of Crime Stoppers, an organization unlike any other, and push it to its full potential. She worked vigorously and by 2008 became the organization’s Director of Marketing. Catching the eye of the community in March 2013, she was chosen to lead Houston’s leading public safety non-profit organization, Crime Stoppers of Houston, as the Executive Director. After positively impacting abused children, domestic violence victims, human trafficking victims, homeless animals, entire student bodies and school campuses, neighborhoods and businesses, Mankarious was named Crime Stoppers first CEO in 2018.
Through her years at the helm and working side-by-side her incredible team, Mankarious’ legacy has been well established. Described by some as “Crime Stoppers on steroids”, her footprint has elevated the organization to new heights. She’s created the first ever Crime Stoppers Safe School Institute – a full suite direct service program that got the attention of Texas Governor Greg Abbott. She was asked to train the entire state of Texas and Crime Stoppers organizations nationwide on proactive school safety. In the fall of 2019, she will launch Crime Stoppers’ first webinar series with local, statewide, and national experts. Other firsts for Mankarious include launching and expanding the organization’s Safe Community Program, Parents Against Crime, and the critically important Fallen Hero Program.
We recently sat down for a cup of coffee to find out about the woman behind all the achievements.
How to help protect yourself from phishing
Keeping your financial accounts and information safe is critically important to us. That’s why we’re proactively advancing our security and continually investing in account safety measures, such as strong encryption software and ongoing monitoring of suspicious activity.
We also want to help you avoid fraudulent schemes. Email and text message scams, known as phishing, can be difficult to distinguish from legitimate messages. They may impersonate a reputable company and include an urgent request for you to update your information, secure your account, verify your identity, or confirm a transaction. You may be prompted to call a phone number, sign on to a fraudulent website, or respond with personal or account information. Learn how to detect and report suspicious email and text messages, also known as ‘SMS phishing’ or ‘smishing’, that appear to be from your bank.
What is phishing?
Phishing is usually a two-part scam involving an email or text message containing links to a fraudulent website requesting sensitive information such as username, password, and account details. Once obtained, your personal and financial information can be used to access your account and steal money.
How to recognize a phishing email
Phishing emails are becoming more sophisticated and difficult to distinguish from legitimate emails. By impersonating a reputable company’s communications, these emails tend to use clever and compelling language, such as an urgent need for you to update your information or communicate with you for your security. To spot a phishing email, look for a combination of red flags. In this example, notice:
1. Non-bank email address: The email address of the sender does not include the wellsfargo.com domain name, instead using something like “comcast.net”: WellsOnlineBank2@comcast.net.
2. Urgent call to action: The email includes an urgent request in the subject line and message copy, such as “for your protection and for security reasons.” Phishing emails may also contain extra spacing or unusual punctuation in addition to other red flags.
3. Suspicious URL: The email contains a link to a non-Wells Fargo URL, which could be a fraudulent website. If you’re using a laptop or desktop computer, you can check a link’s URL by hovering over it with your cursor, and the URL will show in your browser window.
How to recognize smishing
Phishing texts use similar techniques as phishing emails: a sense of urgency to secure your account or verify your identity, using words like “locked,” “deactivated”, or “for your protection” to describe your account status. These texts may prompt you to call a phone number, click on a link, or respond directly with personal or account information. To spot a phishing text, look for a combination of red flags. In this example, notice:
1. Suspicious sender: The text was sent by an unknown phone number, instead of one of Wells Fargo’s official short codes: 93557, 93733, 93729, or 54687.
2. Unusual text treatments: The text message contains a combination of unusual text treatments, including all caps, arrows, ID numbers, and an exclamation point.
3. Unprompted identity request: The request to verify the recipient’s identity was unprompted. Wells Fargo will request to verify your identity via access code only when prompted by an action that you have initiated, such as signing on to online banking or sending money.
What you can do to help protect yourself
• Don’t click on links, open attachments, or respond to unexpected emails or text messages from suspicious or unknown senders.
• Don’t share your online banking password with anyone.
• Don’t sign on to your account from a link in a suspicious message. Access a company’s website by using a reputable search engine or typing the entire URL into your browser. For Wells Fargo, type https://wellsfargo.com or use the Wells Fargo Mobile® app.
If you receive an unexpected request for information from your bank
Verify it by calling the number on the back of your debit or credit card. For more information on how to spot and report suspicious emails or text messages that appear to be from Wells Fargo, go to https://wellsfargo.com/nophishing.
This blog was provided by Wells Fargo, generous supporters of our Safe School Institute.