Share these tips with your neighbors and friends, too, and make it tough for criminals to work in your neighborhood.

Criminals prefer to act anonymously, and will look for properties where they won’t be seen or identified. Good property owners know this, and will make their properties visible to neighbors and police. Taken along, few of the following crime prevention techniques will have a significant impact. Taken together, they will deter some criminals from wanting to move onto the property.

Hate crime or hate incident? 

It is important to know the difference between a hate crime and a hate incident. 

A hate incident is an action or behavior motivated by hate but legally protected by the First Amendment right to freedom of expression. 

Examples of hate incidents include: name-calling, insults, distributing hate material in public places, and displaying hate material on your own property. 

Lock up:

Sexual assault is a violent crime—a hostile attack—an attempt to hurt and humiliate. It is NOT the result of “uncontrolled passions.” Sexual assault can happen to anyone. It can occur anywhere and at any time, in public or in your own home, day or night.

In protecting your business from robbery, it is important to remember to take preventative measures and make it obvious that those measures have been taken.

But why is it difficult to deter these crimes: Quite simply, most vandalism, including graffiti and arson attacks, occur at night and on weekends when businesses are vacant. Many of the same precautions taken to discourage burglars may also discourage arsonists and vandals. By taking a few preventative steps, you can help curb these crimes against your business.

Follow these tips that can help you avoid becoming a victim of a crime when you are out and about or at work.

It cannot be detected by a fraud alert, credit freeze or by monitoring your other existing accounts. The only way to prevent income tax fraud is by making sure you file your taxes before anyone else can.

If you are already the victim of identity theft or believe your information has been compromised you may also file an affidavit with the IRS. Once filed, the IRS attaches a password to your social security number, which is sent to you prior to tax time and is required to file your taxes.

Unfortunately the Franchise Tax Board does not yet offer the same option.