INTEGRITY
Our actions and relationship with the community are guided by an internal sense of honesty and morality.
PROFESSIONALISM
Our conduct and demeanor display the highest standard of personal and organizational excellence.
DIVERSITY
Our members recognize the differences as a strength in our organization and community.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Our duty is to promote public trust by upholding our obligations to the department and community.
VIGILANCE
Our responsibility is to be alert to issues and activities impacting our tribal communities.

Crime Prevention Tips

The following are just a few Crime Prevention tips that can assist you and your family in staying safe and not becoming a victim to crime:

Download Crime Prevention Tips [PDF]

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Crime Prevention tips

Cyber Security
- To avoid viruses and other malware, install security updates as needed, and run a virus and spyware scan often. Do not download anything from unknown sources.
- Do not give out personal information and credit card information to a site that is not fully trust-worthy. Never respond to e-mails asking for any personal information or passwords, no matter how believable it may sound.
- Use strong passwords that are not common words and have numbers and symbols mixed in with the letters as well as capital letters too.
- Only provide your social security number to an employer, a financial institution, such as a bank, or a government agency. Do not carry a social security card in a wallet in everyday circumstances.
- Always lock up blank checks in a very secure place.
- Shred important documents with personal and banking information before disposing of them.
- Do not carry any more than necessary in a wallet. Never write down a Personal Identification Number (P.I.N.) number and carry it with a debit card.
- Keep copies of important documents such as a social security card, passport, driver’s license, and credit cards.
- Make sure you have the phone numbers to any and all financial institutions you have accounts with so if a credit or debit card happens to get stolen or lost you can cancel immediately.
Home Security and Safety
- Use physical protection measures on a home by installing deadbolts on all doors, locking devices on windows and solid glass doors and a fenced in yard.
- Trim trees surrounding the house so that burglars do not have easy access to the roof.
- Consider installing an alarm system in the home. Get references for alarm companies from friends or neighbors and get estimates from a few before deciding on installation.
- Follow strict security procedures in the home, such as locking all doors and windows when leaving, even if it’s just for a short time.
- Learn to recognize who belongs in the neighborhood. Report any and all suspicious activity to the police.
- Consider getting a dog as a pet. They can be a great alarm system when someone approaches the house and can scare away strangers.
- Provide visibility around the house by leaving lights on after dark or having motion detector lights around the property. This ensures that there are no dark areas around the house in which a person could hide.
- Always lock doors even if someone is home. Unlocked doors are the easiest way for a criminal to enter a household.
- Never let anyone know that there is one person alone in a house at any time. Do not tell people at the door this information. Also, do not post this information on social networking sites.
- Be wary of solicitors in your neighborhood who may not be what they seem and are just trying to get information on your day to day routine in order to burglarize your home.
Preventing Fraud and Identity Theft
- Be aware of telemarketing fraud. People will say they are anyone from a policeman to disadvantaged individuals. Always be suspicious of anyone asking for money or offering mysterious prize money.
- Never give out any numbers, social security number, credit card numbers, and checking account numbers, over the phone to unknown persons.
- Delete any suspicious e-mails. Do not believe e-mails asking to wire funds or cash checks over the Internet. Suspicious e-mails include chain letters involving money, credit repair schemes, prize notifications that ask for money or checking account information first, and work-at-home proposals.
- Do not use a debit card to shop online especially if the website does not look one hundred percent official. If the source in unreliable, the bank account connected to the debit card can be drained and overdraft charges can be fined. With a credit card, a billing error can be reported, and charges can be dropped.
- Learn about phishing and other Internet schemes that people use to try to steal money and other personal information online.
- Get informed about social networking security. Many spammers make fake profiles and take advantage of the large amount of personal information that others freely reveal. Be suspicious of people asking for money or even more personal information through these websites.
Vacation Safety and Security
- Never share vacation plans on social networking sites.
- Use timers for lights, television, and radio to make the house appear as if it is currently occupied.
- Have the postal office hold mail and/or have a trusted family member, friend, or neighbor be a key holder for your home so they can check on your house periodically while you are away and check your mail and pick up your newspaper if you get mail and newspaper at your residence. A pile of newspapers at your front door or in your yard is an obvious sign to a burglar that you are away.
- Let a friend or relative know specific details of the vacation plans. Letting them know exact times and phone numbers of hotels and other emergency numbers will assure that someone knows when and where the vacationing individual or family will be at all times.
- Use travelers checks while on vacation and carry little cash.
- Leave expensive items such as jewelry at home. If it is necessary to bring valuables check hotels or cruise lines ahead of time to see if safes are available.
- If traveling out of the country, look up phone numbers to the U.S. Embassy ahead of time in case an emergency situation arises.
Vehicle Security
- Try to park in well lit, open areas, and in view of a security camera. The more populated and secure the area, the less likely a robbery will occur.
- Never leave valuable items out in the open in a vehicle. Either remove them from the car or place inside the glove box, under seats, or in the trunk where others cannot see them.
- While driving, keep doors and windows locked to prevent a carjacking. Also, always lock car doors when leaving a vehicle.
- When walking back to a parked car, look underneath vehicle and in back seat after entering a car to make sure no one is under or in the car.
- Do not leave helmet or riding equipment with a motorcycle after parking it.
- Cover a motorcycle when unattended. Many thieves look to steal certain models and will be unwilling to risk setting off an alarm when lifting the cover.
- Chain and lock bicycles to a secure unmovable item when leaving it unattended.

These are just a few tips of many that can assist you and your family in staying safe and not becoming a victim to crime. The Seminole Police Department has the following Crime Prevention Programs in place:

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Prevention Programs

Operation Identification
- Program offers community members the opportunity to put all valuable items, i.e. televisions, computers, electronic devices, and other high value items on file. Seminole Police Officers assist the community members by going to the residence and obtaining the serial numbers of personal property along with a description of the item. This assists the individual in a natural disaster, i.e. fire, flood, or hurricane. It also assists the Seminole Police Department and individual if an item is stolen or missing. A copy of the file is kept at the Seminole Police Department for quick reference.
Street Light / Graffiti Program
- Program designed to assess the reservation’s street lights and maintain order against graffiti. Seminole Police report any and all street lights that may require repair. All Street lights are maintained by Buildings and Grounds, Florida Power and Light, and/or Glades Electric depending on reservation and location. Any damaged or unlit street lights get reported due to possible risk of crimes occurring and the safety of the community. Graffiti is reported and it will be determined if it is gang related, corrective action is then taken.
Prescription Pill Drop Off
- This Program is set up to allow individuals to anonymously turn in any out dated or unused prescriptions. This program offers a safe environment to discard all medications that could cause harm to anyone that is not prescribed the medications. The program is advertised through Tribal Wide Emails and flyers are passed out on all Reservations to the Tribal Communities. The Seminole Police Department’s Threat Response Unit (TRU) and Youth Services Unit normally provide personnel to be at the designated locations on the day of the scheduled drop off. All medications are counted and turned in to Seminole Police Evidence Storage for proper and safe disposal.
Tribal Safe Driver Assistance Program
- Program offered to all first time drivers and community members needing assistance with obtaining a driver’s license to reduce points, and fines, or obtain a work permit. Once a class is scheduled, a Flyer will go out to the community with the scheduled date and time of the class. The Seminole Police Department offers a four hour class that consists of a slide show presentation, lecture, and an exam. This allows first time drivers to obtain the first part to their learner’s permit and instruction on what to do to complete the requirements through the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (D.H.S.M.V.). Adult community members utilize the class to meet the requirements that may be needed through the courts to reduce the points off their licenses and obtain work permits.

If you are interested in learning more about these programs please contact any of our Seminole Police Department locations:

South Command:

Hollywood / Coconut Creek S.P.D. (954) 967-8900
Big Cypress S.P.D. (863) 983-2285
Immokalee S.P.D. (239) 657-6956

North Command:

Tampa S.P.D. (813) 620-2875
Brighton / Ft. Pierce S.P.D. (863) 763-5731

SPD RESERVATIONS

BIG CYPRESS
30300 Josie Billie Highway
Clewiston, Florida 33440
(863) 983-2285
HOLLYWOOD
3101 North State Road 7
Hollywood, Florida 33021
(954) 967-8900

BRIGHTON
600 E. Harney Pond Rd.
Okeechobee, Florida 34974
(863) 763-5731
IMMOKALEE
304 Lena Frank Dr.
Immokalee, Florida 34142
(239) 657-6956

FORT PIERCE
3300 Sallie Chupco Tommie Way - Ft. Pierce, Florida
34945 - (772) 468-1990
TAMPA
5217 Orient Road
Tampa, Florida 33614
(813) 620-2875
LAKELAND
9884 Wind Ave
Lakeland, Florida 33809
(813) 620-2890

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Crime Prevention Tips

Crime Prevention tips

Prevention Programs

SPD RESERVATIONS

BIG CYPRESS

HOLLYWOOD

BRIGHTON

IMMOKALEE

FORT PIERCE

TAMPA

LAKELAND

HELPFUL LINKS