April is recognized as Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month and your Crime Stoppers of Houston joined community-wide efforts to raise awareness about this serious issue:

– Press Conference: Held on April 1st in partnership with The Children’s Assessment Center (CAC), the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, the Harris County Attorney’s Office and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. We announced the 12 most wanted child abuse fugitives in Harris County and encouraged Houstonians to actively engage in keeping our children safe from abuse and neglect.

As the number of senior citizens in Harris County continues to grow, new forms of elder abuse and exploitation constantly appear. We must all recognize the ongoing and new schemes and scams that plague persons 65 and older. The term exploitation includes the illegal or improper use or attempted use of an elderly person’s assets or resources.

What really makes a hero? Do you ever think about that?

Certainly, law enforcement, firefighters, doctors and all first responders come to mind. I think of people like Officer Ann Carrizales, the Stafford officer shot in the face and chest during a routine traffic stop in 2013. Never one to back down, she got back in her car, chased her suspects into Houston and apprehended one of three before seeking medical treatment. Today, she divides her time between protecting the community (“I was born to be a protector,” Carrizales said, “I would gladly lay down my life to protect any of you”) and using her personal story of danger, the fight and triumph to give strength and inspiration to millions around the globe through her travel and public speaking.

Shredding shouldn’t be your sole defense. ID theft is more likely to result from data breaches, computer malware, a lost or stolen wallet and other devious methods, including thieves buying sensitive information on the scammer black market, instead of searching for it among discarded eggshells and coffee grounds. Still, at organized shred fests with monster machines or at home with a more compact confetti maker (always use a “micro-cut” or crosscut model), shredding is a simple step to add another layer of protection, not to mention more storage or shelf space.

I was simply organizing my kids’ backpacks when a bright blue sheet of paper fell right onto my lap. The title hit me like a ton of bricks; it simply read: TK graduation! RSVP Now! My stomach instantly sank. This notice meant my youngest child was graduating transitional kindergarten. Time was moving quickly and, let’s face it, we were all getting older. This thought made me want to cry.

“There are three things I want to be when I grow up, Mommy.”

“What’s that?” I asked my first grader.

“Well, I can’t decide. I’ll either be a teacher, an astronaut or a police woman.” She paused. “I’m not sure which I’ll be. How will I know?”

Voxer? Yik Yak? Kik?

If you’re in a normal home, your teen (or tween, YIKES!) knows more about social media than you do. You know it. They know it. And that’s dangerous.