The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has several recent updates. The annual National Night Out event has unfortunately been cancelled for 2020 due to COVID-19. Additionally, the sheriff’s office provides tips for preventing package theft and for protecting personal information on social media platforms. Lastly, members of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office participated in the Franklin County We Care ATV Ride, which benefits We Care of Franklin County.
National Night Out 2020 Has Been Cancelled
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has decided to cancel their August National Night Out event for 2020.
“We are very sorry, but with the COVID-19 situation still upon us, we cannot risk having 500+ people in close contact. We are looking into ways we can show our appreciation to this community in other, socially distanced ways. Thank you to all the businesses, agencies, and residents who assist and partner with us. We are praying that 2021 will be a better year for all,” Franklin County Sheriff Bill Overton said.
Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Gives Tips to Prevent Theft
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office advised residents on ways to prevent package thefts. Online shopping has seen a steady increase over the past few years. It is estimated that 8 in 10 adults are regular online shoppers. Unfortunately, statistics show that nearly 4 in 10 people have fallen victim to package theft.
Here are some proactive tips to help protect your deliveries:
- Get to know your delivery people to let them know your package preferences. They may be able to help by delivering to a more secure area around your home rather than high visibility areas.
- Track your packages for status updates; Prepare to bring your items into the home ASAP.
- Network with trusted neighbors – teaming up with neighbors can be a smart way to keep your deliveries and neighborhood secure.
- Deliver to your workplace (if allowed) or another address where someone will be available to receive it.
- Install security cameras or smart doorbell – most are motion detecting and will alert you to your smartphone when movement is found. Many will record and play back video, and have two way communication so you can see, hear, and respond to what’s going on.
Be Aware of What You Share!
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind all residents to use precautions when sharing personal information on their social media platforms. Some information can be used by hackers to gain access to important accounts. Being proactive in protecting your identity may lessen your chances of having accounts accessed unknowingly!
Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Avoid online “quizzes” or games that ask for personal details. These answers are commonly used for security questions.
- Set your social media accounts to a “private” status so that only the friends you accept are able to view your photos and posts.
- Select strong security questions and answers for your accounts. Avoid using commonly known responses.
- Steer clear of clicking on unknown links to advertisements.
- Never post your address or phone number where the general public is able to access that information.
- Set up two factor authentication if available. This will allow you to receive a text message code in order to sign into your account and will increase your security.
We Care ATV Ride
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office members will participated in the Franklin County We Care ATV Ride on Saturday, June 13th at the Parkridge Sub-Division just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.
This event benefits We Care of Franklin County.
