Department News

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Public Safety Alerts/Notifications

Carmel Hamlet Child Luring Attempt

On January 31, 2020, it was reported that a male subject in a white Ford pickup truck had approached a young child in the area of Collier Dr in the Carmel Hamlet asking her where she lived.  An adult witnessed what was going on and the truck lef the area.

Detectives with the Town of Carmel Police Department interviewed the Good Samaritan that was in fact the driver of the grey pickup truck observed in the neighbor’s surveillance video on January 31st. It was learned that the driver did stop to check that the 5 year old running in the roadway was okay and drove away after confirming that the child was safe. It has been deemed that there is no suspicious or criminal activity at this time.
We would like to thank all the concerned citizens that contacted the police with information. 

 

IRS Scam Press Release

               The Carmel Police Department would like to advise the residents of the town about several scams that have been prevalent in recent months. Many of these scams have certain similarities and begin by the victims receiving a telephone call from a person who identifies themselves as an employee of the IRS. This person advises the victim that they are either negligent on their taxes or still owe money to the IRS and that the victim will be arrested unless they go to the store and buy a gift card in the amount of several hundreds to several thousands of dollars. Usually the scammer will make the victim stay on the phone with them while the victim goes and purchases the gift card. Once the card is purchased, the scammer makes the person tell them the number that is on the card and they claim that this will satisfy their payment to the IRS, resulting in the victim being out the amount of the gift card. The IRS does not accept payment through gift cards and we advise residents that if they do receive a phone call like this, to hang up and never divulge any personal information to the scammer. If you are a victim of one of these scams and either gave out personal information or have suffered a financial loss as a result, contact your local police department immediately so that a report can be completed. For more information on this scam and others, please go to https://www.irs.gov/uac/tax-scams-consumer-alerts for further details.

 

Putnam Communities That Care Coalition PSA …

Spring and summer are times of celebrations -- confirmations, first communions, proms and graduations – The Putnam Communities That Care Coalition and the Town of Carmel Police Department want to remind the community about our local social host laws.  Each municipality has their own social host law. These laws govern the use of, and access to, alcohol in social settings.  House parties are the prime targets.

The law prohibits adults from knowingly allowing a party or gathering where 3 or more minors are present and alcoholic beverages are consumed by one or more minors. Whether an adult supplied the alcohol or not doesn't matter -- if you know about the party on your property, you are obligated to do something to stop it.  You will be facing a misdemeanor conviction, a $3,000 fine and response recovery costs (the cost of any and all emergency services including the police). In addition, you can be sued civilly for any damage or injury that occurs as a result of the underage drinking.

The purpose of the social host law is simple – to protect our young people and our community at large. Underage drinkers are at much greater risk of being involved in a fight, a sexual assault, an accidental injury or an automobile crash. As a parent, you have a duty to insure that the parties you host for your teens are alcohol free.

BE A PARENT NOT A FRIEND.  Underage drinking can ruin all those things you want for your child – Health, Happiness, Safety and Success. Sometimes the coolest thing you can do for your teen is to be a Parent.

Did you know… People ages 12 through 20 drinks about 11 percent of all alcohol consumed in the United States and consume more than 90 percent of their alcohol by binge drinking, consuming many drinks in a short period of time. The consequences of underage drinking can affect everyone. We all feel the effects of the aggressive behavior, property damage, injuries, violence, and deaths that can result from underage drinking.  

The longer you can delay the use of drugs and alcohol by your child, the better chance you will have that they will not have a problem with it as an adult.

WHAT EVERY TEEN NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT ALCOHOL OVERDOSES

Every teen should know the symptoms of alcohol poisoning:

            M – Mental Confusion

            U – Unresponsive

            S – Snoring/Gasping for Air

            T – Throwing Up

 

            H – Hypothermia

            E – Erratic Breathing

            L – Loss of Consciousness

            P – Paleness/Blueness of Skin

 Brought to you by AwareAwakeAlive  - go to http://awareawakealive.org/for more info.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, excessive alcohol use, including binge drinking, leads to an annual average of approximately 88,000 deaths. CALL 911 immediately! The longer you wait, the greater the possibility that the person may die.

In New York State there is a Good Samaritan Law that will protect those who seek help when they are witnessing or experiencing a substance-related emergency as well as the person who has overdosed.  This law protects the caller against criminal charge and prosecution for possession of alcohol and controlled substances, as well as possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. However, these protections do not encompass felony-amounts of possession, drug sales, and other nondrug crimes.

TALK TO YOUR TEEN ABOUT THIS! IT MAY SAVE A LIFE!