August 2024: Shopping Center/Mall Safety Tips
Malls and shopping centers are excellent places to make purchases of all kinds and, as a result, these locations tend to be well populated and teeming with activity. Shoppers migrate from store to store, occasionally stopping to eat or for a cup of coffee, and all too often pay little attention to the people around […]
SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S OCTOBER 2025 SAFETY & SECURITY TIP: FALL INTO GOOD HABITS
Even without falling temperatures, October in Florida brings a change in pace—shorter daylight hours, seasonal celebrations, and new safety considerations Unfortunately, the change of season can also present new opportunities for criminal activity. With Halloween around the corner and the days getting darker earlier, it’s more important than ever to prioritize home and personal safety. […]
SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S SEPTEMBER 2025 SAFETY & SECURITY TIP: PREPARING FOR THE UNPLANNED
Planning for the unplanned – Are you prepared? Do you have a plan if the unthinkable happens? We call it the unthinkable, but these days we know anything can happen…anywhere, anytime. In crime prevention and safety, we often discuss “crisis rehearsal;” a fancy way of saying “if this, then that” or “when/then.” It means taking […]
SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S AUGUST 2025 SAFETY & SECURITY TIP: SECURING EXTERIOR DOORS
An estimated 34% of residential burglars enter through a home’s front door. While I was unable to locate documentation regarding side and rear door entries, they, too, are frequent targets. Additionally, a fairly recent and ongoing TikTok “challenge” that encourages youngsters to kick in the front doors of unknown homes prompts me to discuss an […]
SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S JULY 2025 SAFETY & SECURITY TIP: PREVENTING HOME BURGLARY
Home burglary resulted in the loss of over $3 billion in 2019 and, according to a recent collegiate study, a home burglary occurs every 15 seconds in the United States and that someone is at home 27.6% of the time. Disconcerting? While these crimes have decreased in Lee County, our agency continues to emphasize the […]
SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S MAY 2025 SAFETY & SECURITY TIP: OPERATION MEDICINE CABINET
Many are unaware of the fact that a significant percentage of individuals that are abusing prescription opiates obtain these drugs from their own homes, the homes of family members and/or the homes of friends. In the United States, in 2023, approximately 8.6 million individuals reported misusing prescription opioids. Once again, that statistic only represents “reported” […]
SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S APRIL 2025 SAFETY & SECURITY TIP: THE VALUE OF LIGHTING
The list of proactive security measures that can be taken to protect your home and/or business is lengthy. Some are more effective than others. Surprisingly, few of these measures are more effective than efficient lighting. Bright lights deter criminal activity. Thieves, burglars and vandals search for low-risk targets…locations at which their movements and methods are […]
SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S MARCH 2025 SAFETY & SECURITY TIP: SPRING BREAK SAFETY
The term, “Spring Break,” conjures images of young adults crowding our beaches and bars, late night gatherings and volleyball in the sand. We must remember, however, that our county’s school-aged children are also on break…the week of March 17th in Lee County and the prior week, March 10 through 14, in Collier County. This respite […]
SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S FEBRUARY 2025 SAFETY & SECURITY TIP: SCHOOL BUSES AND DIVIDED ROADWAYS
One of any law enforcement officer’s concerns…and likely the paramount concern…is the safety of our children. Each morning, during the school year, over 100,000 Lee County children begin their day by preparing for and traveling to school. Many of these children travel on district school buses. We have repeatedly discussed operating at safe speeds in […]
SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S JANUARY 2025 SAFETY & SECURITY TIP: MORE THOUGHTS REGARDING PORCH PIRACY
With the surge in online orders comes an obvious rise in the number of packages left on doorsteps and porches…and the number of villainous individuals plotting to pilfer your parcels. A national news agency recently reported that an estimated 120 million packages…$12 billion worth of online orders…were stolen in 2024. This practice of theft has […]