Thousands of marshmallows fell from the sky, a golden egg and hundreds of Easter baskets for children. WCSO personnel came out to the Simmons Center in big numbers to help make sure the children of Inkster had a wonderful day. Our people were everywhere. Helping community volunteers set up tables, helping give out more than 500 baskets to children who could barely contain their joy, and making sure traffic was moving smoothly. We assisted our partners at the Detroit Rescue Mission who generously donated all those hundreds of baskets. Thank you to all our people who generously gave their time.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office has multiple specialty teams. Our Marine/Dive Team is on call to assist throughout Wayne County and agencies in neighboring counties if they find themselves in need. Our people constantly train, and this winter is no different. Ice Diving requires special certification that new team members needed. So, after taking a chainsaw to the ice on the Detroit River, in they went. One of our deputies geared himself up with a Go-Pro camera and the result is this short film. Enjoy.
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It was an absolute mess. A 54-inch water main ruptured in Southwest Detroit on February 17th. Icy water engulfed a neighborhood near Beard and Rowan streets. The enormity of the problem became clear as the water levels started rise, engulfing cars and flooding basements. At times, the streets were awash in waist high water. Sheriff Washington activated the Wayne County Marine Unit. Divers, the command post, and boats were sent to help evacuate 200 people. Our people were out there for hours to assist. The Marine Unit is one of the specialty teams here at WCSO that is on call to assist across the county or neighboring agencies in Oakland and Macomb if there is an emergency. WXYZ-TV interviewed Sgt Michael Roehrig about the evacuations. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.wxyz.com/news/region/detroit/first-responders-rescue-more-than-200-from-southwest-detroit-water-main-break-flooding__;!!KpYDppBGsltJ9Kw!2RS7RKCKfbQvlb5vyS14rNmpI1RE0lFX-59JqbRHCeJvVmd6FHouzP9vIgNr9ygHvSaxNvVj6KgoDhnKF9Bmx2AP7KVt$
The rise of AI means we’re all on the cusp of a new digital world. Already, AI is all over social media platforms and it is becoming harder and harder to recognize real from AI generated photos and content. Some things parents need to be aware of:
- The lack of parental filters and settings in AI can make social media safety harder to navigate. Continue to work with your teen to stay safe.
- Drive home that not everything you see on social media is reality or accurate.
- Privacy is just as important with AI. Review how to clear browser history, cookies and block any suspicious users.
https://www.wxyz.com/news/news-literacy-project/news-literacy-project-how-to-identify-misinformation-amid-the-rise-of-ai-content
Heads Up from the WCSO Director of Tech
How to Spot Credit Card Skimmers and Scammers
WCSO Director of Technology Stephen Yatooma has compiled a comprehensive tip sheet with what you need to know to avoid being victimized by the credit card fraud that’s in the Metro Detroit area right now.
Skimmers- It Takes seconds to install a skimmer
- Devices store the data that can be downloaded or transferred Wireless using Bluetooth
- The Device Collects Cardholder Name, Expiration Date, and Cars Number.
- Make unauthorized purchases online or over the phone
- Sell the data to other scammers for a profit
- Use it for identity theft
- Create counterfeit cards
Credit card skimmers are designed to look like they’re part of the POS system they’re attached to. Some skimmers fit over the original card reader in the machine [...]
Credit card scammers have been making the rounds across Metro Detroit. Our digital forensics guru Sgt. Britton Foreman filled WXYZ-TV in on steps you can take to protect yourself.
1. Always use tap to pay
2. Using something like Apple Pay provides another layer of data encryption
3. Help your older family members stop the habit of swiping or inserting their credit cards
Often times these skimmers are hard to detect, especially if you’re in a rush. It’s why these scammers tend to put skimmers in high traffic areas like gas stations.
It is the law in Michigan when you see emergency vehicles on the side of the road to slow down and move over if possible. This year the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with the National Sheriffs’ Association to launch a yearlong social media campaign in Wayne County to remind drivers to move over. You will see the #MoveOverDriveSafe hashtag throughout the year on a variety of platforms. Our media partners at WDIV-TV profiled the start of the effort which now includes 11 other law enforcement agencies including MSP. WDIV-TV did a great job getting the message out and why this issue is personal for Sheriff Washington.
https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2024/12/24/campaign-aims-to-get-michigan-drivers-to-move-over-for-emergency-vehicles/
Each year our volunteers and sponsors outdo themselves in order to bring Christmas to needy children. This year the WCSO was able to gift 200 children a Christmas and give their parents Meijer gift cards for much needed groceries. This is a major undertaking from this office and is always the entire WCSO’s favorite day of the year. This would not be possible without our many sponsors. A special thank you to Meijer, Huntington Bancshares Fund, Barbat Co, LLC, Derek Dickow, Mr.& Mrs. Joe Lentine, Frank Torre, SLIFCO Electric, and Mark Savaya. Our Wayne County Sheriff Youth and Senior Foundation always plays a huge role in this. On behalf of all of us here at the WCSO, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
When Freddie Payne got a call that read “No ID” on his cellphone he hesitated to answer it but ultimately picked up. On the other end was a guy claiming to be a Wayne County deputy who told him he needed to pay $3500 immediately or be thrown in jail. Payne told us the man was a fast talker and claimed there was a bench warrant for his arrest because he failed to show up for jury duty. Payne knew it couldn’t possibly be true. He hung up after about 20 minutes of listening to their spiel and called Sheriff Washington. This is just another version of the scam that’s been going around for years, but these guys can be very persuasive. Thank you to WDIV-TV for bringing attention to it. You can see [...]
It’s one of our most favorite events of the year. WCSO teams up with Leaders Advancing and Helping Communities or LAHC and Kroger to pass out $5000 in gift cards. Today unsuspecting drivers were pulled over by deputies and Sheriff Washington along with Undersheriff Mike Jaafar. People were flabbergasted that instead of getting tickets they received $250 gift cards. Another successful Santa on Patrol.
