ACWORTH
POLICE DEPARTMENT
Take Precautions to Ensure a Safe Summer BY WAYNE DENNARD
It’s officially summer, and with the warmer weather and increased outdoor activity, there are some important precautions we all must take to ensure the safety and well-being of our families, pets and belongings. It doesn’t take much time in the summer heat to become dehydrated and experience serious side effects from the lack of water. This especially is true at the beginning of the warmer months, when you might not be paying very close attention to your water intake. Recognizing the symptoms of dehydration and acting quickly to prevent complications, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke, will enable you to protect yourself and others. According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the most common symptoms of dehydration are muscle fatigue, reduced cognitive processing, dizziness, confused or dazed states of awareness, thirst, infrequent urination and dark-colored urine, and dry mouth. In children and infants, symptoms are slightly different than in adults: dry mouth and tongue, no tears when crying, no wet diapers for three hours, sunken eyes and cheeks, a sunken soft spot on top of the skull and listlessness or irritability. In warmer months, it’s important to exercise caution when transporting your pets in your vehicle. While it might be tempting to leave your dog in the car while you run into the store for just a few minutes, that can be very dangerous. According to the American Kennel Club, the inside of a vehicle parked in 70-degree weather can reach 100 degrees in just 20 minutes. On very hot days, temperatures inside parked cars can climb to 140 degrees in less than one hour. Even cracking the window does little to reduce the temperature in a stationary vehicle. Criminals enjoy warmer weather, too. During the summer months, opportunistic property crimes tend to increase. Thieves will take the path of least resistance, and stealing from vehicles is often an easy choice for them — but mostly because we make it easy for them.
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AROUND ACWORTH | June 2022
There are ways to protect yourself from becoming the victim of a theft:
1.
Lock your doors. Seriously. Please lock your doors. The vast majority of vehicle thefts involve vehicles that were unlocked. A thief is more likely to skip over a locked car and look for one that is unlocked, rather than breaking a window.
2.
Keep your valuables out of sight. If you have done the right thing and locked your doors, but you left cash, jewelry or electronics in plain view, then criminals might be more motivated to break your window. Please keep your valuable items hidden, and don’t offer thieves extra incentive to damage your property.
3.
Park in well-lit and well-populated areas. It might be tempting to park toward the back of the parking lot to keep others from accidentally scratching your vehicle, but it also gives thieves the opportunity to access your vehicle without the prying eyes of bystanders. We have an excellent community, and there are many people who will report suspicious behavior, but only if they can see it. I know we all are looking forward to spending more time outside and enjoying the amazing amenities Acworth has to offer, so let’s do our best to protect our families, our personal property and our pets and to stay safe and healthy!
