Dear residents,

With Thanksgiving upon us, I'd like to stress the importance of family dinners.

According to a recently released report by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, the more often children and teens eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink and use drugs.

Teens who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) are:

• Three times likelier to have used marijuana;
• Three and half times likelier to have abused prescription drugs;
• More than two and half times likelier to have used tobacco, and
• One and half times likelier to have used alcohol.

The strongest impact appears to be among middle school-aged students. Compared to 12- and 13-year-olds who dine with their families frequently, children who have infrequent family dinners are:

• Six times likelier to have used marijuana;
• More than four and half times likelier to have used tobacco; and
• More than two and half times likelier to have used alcohol.

If your family doesn't eat together on a regular basis, what better time than the holidays to start a new tradition. You'll be thankful you did.

Stay safe,

Sgt. Debra Kalish
Community Services

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The online holiday shopping season kicks into gear on Cyber Monday (Nov. 30), the season's busiest day for online retail purchases. The National Cyber Security Alliance recommends the following measures to ensure your online shopping is safe and successful:

• Update core protections: Take a few minutes to update your core protections -- anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall -- before you go online. Make certain they are set to automatically update against new threats.
• Shop secure sites: Is there a closed padlock on the browser's status bar? Does the Web site's address (URL) change to s-http or https when you are asked to provide payment information? If so, you know the vendor has secured their payment process.
• Check sellers out: Conduct independent research on a seller's reputation before you buy from a seller you have never done business with.
• Passwords are key: Create long, unique passwords incorporating symbols and numbers to increase your security against hackers and others trying to access online accounts.
• Always ask WWW: When providing personal information for any purchase, always ensure that you know who is asking for the information, what information they are asking for and why they need it.
• Not all money is created equal: Credit cards are generally the safest option because shoppers can seek a credit from the issuer of the card if the item isn't delivered or not what was ordered.

The holiday season is a time when busy people can become careless and vulnerable to theft and other crime while driving to/from shopping trips. Please keep these precautions in mind:

• Avoid driving alone at night.
• Keep all car doors locked/windows closed while in or out of your car. Use alarm or anti-theft device.
• If you must shop at night, park in a well-lighted area.
• Avoid parking next to vans, trucks with camper shells, or cars with tinted windows.
• Park as close as you can to your destination and notice where you parked.
• Never leave your car unoccupied with the motor running or with children inside.
• Do not leave packages or valuables on the seat of your car. Lock them in the trunk.
• Locate your keys before going to your car.
• Hold your purse and packages securely. Don't put them down/on top of car in order to open doors.
• Be aware of your surroundings when approaching/ leaving your vehicle.
• Do not approach your car alone if there are suspicious people in the area.

Results released last month by the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence show that more than 60 percent of U.S. youth have been exposed to violence within the past year. This includes, either directly or indirectly witnessing a violent act; learning of a violent act against a family member, neighbor, or close friend; or experiencing a threat against their home and school.

More findings from the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's two-year study:

• One in four of the children/adolescents surveyed were victims of robbery, vandalism, or theft in the past year.
• One in 10 suffered from child maltreatment (physical and emotional abuse, neglect, or family abduction).
• One in 16 was victimized sexually.
• Nearly one in 10 saw one family member assault another.
• Multiple victimizations were common; more than one-third experienced two or more direct victimizations in the previous year; more than one in 10 experienced five or more direct victimizations in the previous year; and more than one in 50 experienced 10 or more direct victimizations in the previous year.

Of the 638 drug overdose deaths in Georgia in 2008, 543 involved prescription drugs or a combination of prescription and illicit drugs, and 95 deaths involved illicit drugs only, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Medical Examiner's Office. (Note: figures do not include overdose deaths examined by medical examiners in Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett, DeKalb, Henry, Hall or Rockdale Counties.)

Methadone, Alprazolam, Hydrocodone and Oxycodone were the main prescription drugs leading to the deaths; the majority (309) of which occurred in individuals 36-55 years old.

• FBI: Fraudulent Automated Clearing House (ACH) Transfers re Malware and Work-At Home Scams
• FBI: Spammers abuse U.S. Attorney General's name
• FBI: Fraudulent Email Containing FBI "Intelligence Bulletin No. 267"
• FBI: Fraudulent Email Claiming to be from DHS and FBI Counterterrorism Division
• FBI: Hoax Email re FBI Intelligence Bulletin from Weapons of Mass Destruction
• FBI: Techniques used by Fraudsters on Social Networking Sites

Burglaries (Total 21): Aylesbury Farms, Breckinridge, Bridgestone, Camden River Apts., Country Club of the South, Eagle Glen, The Falls at Autry Mill (2), Jones Bridge Plantation, Morton Crossing, Oxford Mill, Perimeter Church (2), Preston Oaks, River Knoll, Silver Ridge, Taylor Springs, The Gates, Thornhill, Timberstone, and a private residence on Buice Road.

Car break-ins (Total 10): Abbotts Cove (2), Abbotts Landing, Chevron at 5905 State Bridge Road, the Forum Gym (2), LA Fitness, Ocee Park, Thornhill and Wellington.