Dear residents,

Distracted driving, especially texting with cell phones, is a hot button issue across the country right now.

A 2008 survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that almost 6,000 Americans died and 515,000 were injured in distracted driving-related vehicle crashes that year.

According to Distraction.gov, there are three main types of driving distractions: Visual - taking your eyes off the road; Manual - taking your hands off the wheel; and Cognitive - taking your mind off what you're doing.

Because it involves all three types, cell phone texting, is the most alarming of all driving distractions.

A 2006 study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that texting drivers are 23 times more likely to be involved in a collision than non-texters. The Automobile Association of American's Foundation for Traffic Safety reports 95 percent of drivers polled acknowledge texting while driving is dangerous, but 21 percent of them had done it recently anyway.

In the moments before a crash or near crash, drivers typically spend nearly five seconds looking at their cell phones - enough time at typical highway speeds to cover more than the length of a football field. Would you close your eyes while driving for five seconds?

In a University of Utah study, students using a driving simulator showed an eight times greater crash risk when texting than when not texting. What I found to be very interesting about this study is that it also showed that just driving and talking on the phone put the drivers' distraction levels the same as driving under the influence with a blood alcohol level of .08. Texting far exceeds that level.

Though it has disturbing images, you may want to watch this video with your teen driver to show them what can happen when texting and driving.

All of us here at the JCPD encourage everyone to not text while driving.

P.S.  If you received this copy from someone else, sign up here to get your own copy each month.

The JCPD joins the U.S. Department of Justice during National Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month to raise awareness of teen dating violence.

A 2009 survey by the Family Violence Prevention Fund showed that:

• American teens are experiencing alarmingly high levels of abuse in their dating relationships.
• The economy appears to have made teen dating violence worse.
• Parents are disturbingly out of touch with the level of teen dating violence and abuse.
• A majority of abused teens don't tell their parents and most stay in abusive relationships.

The National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline at 1-866-331-9474 provides real time, one-on-one support from trained peer advocates.

This month, the Federal Trade Commission began stepping up efforts to protect consumers made vulnerable by the financial crisis, as consumer fraud of all types continues to increase.

The FTC is targeting mortgage relief scams, deceptive and fraudulent loan modifications, mortgage servicing, credit repair and debt relief services, debt collection, advance-fee loans, payday lending and credit card marketing, as well as economic stimulus scams, fake get-rich-quick schemes, work-at-home offers and job-hunting ads.

To file a consumer fraud complaint in English or Spanish, visit Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).

The National Center for Disaster Fraud has received hundreds of complaints about Haitian relief scams. If you suspect fraud, contact them any time on their hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or at disaster@leo.gov.

FBI guidelines for making Haitian relief donations:

• Ignore unsolicited e-mail and social networking appeals.
• Use Internet resources, such as charitywatch.org and charitynavigator.org, to vet non-profits.
• E-mails with attachments may carry viruses.
• Give to known organizations; don't let others donate on your behalf.
• Never give out personal or financial information to solicitors.

Find out how the JCPD works by enrolling in the Johns Creek Citizens Police Academy, a nine-week program that starts March 16 to educate residents about JCPD practices and services.

The academy meets every Tuesday night and includes classroom instruction (criminal investigations, internal affairs, narcotics, CSI, Community Services); demonstrations (K-9, SWAT, radKIDS, use of force); and practical exercises (traffic enforcement and firearms qualification).

Open to all Johns Creek residents ages 21 and older who successfully pass the application process and a criminal history check, the JC Citizens Police Academy is limited to 25 people.

Download an application here or get one at JCPD Headquarters, 11445 Johns Creek Parkway. Applications must be submitted by March 4. If accepted, there is a $25 program fee.

Contact: Sgt. Debra Kalish at 678-474-1587 or debra.kalish@johnscreekga.gov.

The JCPD advances to the next stage in the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies credentialing process with an on-site inspection scheduled for April.

"CALEA accreditation is the benchmark for the professional standards a law enforcement agency needs to meet today. From the time we launched the department in April 2008, it has been an important goal for us and we are right on target in the process," said Densmore.

Public input during the accreditation process is welcome and encouraged. A public meeting will be held in April 2010. Details will be posted at www.JohnsCreekGA.gov, in upcoming issues of "COPS Connect," and advertised in local newspapers in advance.

The Johns Creek Police Department's Office of Professional Standards has completed an annual statistical summary based on the records of internal investigations. Information regarding the statistical summary is available through the Georgia Open Records Act. If you would like more information please contact Lt. Chris Byers at 678-474-1569.

• CDC: Fraudulent emails referencing CDC-sponsored State Vaccination Program
• FBI: Fraudulent Automated Clearing House (ACH) Transfers re Malware and Work-At Home Scams
• 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

Burglaries (20): AT&T Phone Store (State Bridge Rd), Aylesbury Farms, Brookhollow (2), Camden River (2), Chelsea Ridge Apts., Citgo (Nesbitt Ferry Rd), Corner Chevron (State Bridge Rd), Falcon Ridge, Lexington Woods, Long Indian Creek, Rivermont, St. Andrews, Timberlane, Windgate, and Winthrop Park (2).

Car break-ins (13): Aylesbury Farms, BP Gas Station (Jones Bridge Rd), Brookhollow, Cameron Forest, Newtown Park (2), Rivermont, St. Brigid's Catholic Church (2), Wachovia (State Bridge Rd), and Windgate.