Randolph County Sheriff's Office Newsletter
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[SHERIFF'S OFFICE NEWS:
Randolph County Sheriff's Office responded to 605 calls for service in the month of December. 46 of those calls were generated by 911 calls.
BLUE LIGHT AWARD:
Lieutenant Detective Donald Krull has been presented the Blue Light Award from the Southwestern Law Enforcement Commission. This award is given out to law enforcement officers who are role models for other officers.
NEW SEAT BELT LAW:
Please be aware that as of January 1, 2012, the Illinois seat belt law has changed. You can no longer ride in the backseat without a seat belt. The new safety law requires every passenger in a motor vehicle to buckle up or face paying a fine.
ILLINOIS YELLOW DOT PROGRAM:
www.yellowdotillinois.org
The Illinois Yellow Dot Program is a statewide initiative designed to provide vital medical information on vehicle drivers and passengers to first responders following a traffic crash. To obtain the yellow dot for you and your family, you can go to the above website, visit the Randolph County Health Department, or contact the Illinois Department of Transportation.
PRESCRIPTION DRUG AWARENESS:
More Americans are dying from drug overdose than traffic crashes in the last decade according to American Police Beat. The surge in drug related deaths is largely due to prescription medications. Drugs such as Oxycontin and Vicodin are causing more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined. In many ways prescription drugs are more dangerous than street drugs in that users feel they are safer because you get them from a pharmacy and they are prescribed by a doctor. Young people feel they are safer because they see their parents taking them and they don't have the stigma of using street narcotics. Please take caution with your prescription medications and only take them as prescribed by your medical doctor. Parents, keep all medications locked in a medicine cabinet and out of reach of young children.
GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:
The Randolph County Sheriff's Office regularly handles complaints of break-ins and attempted burglaries. To help protect your home from break-ins, remember to secure all doors and windows before leaving your residence. If you're going to be leaving your home for a few days or on vacation, notify your neighbors and enlist a family member or trusted friend to check on your residence. If you do notice suspicious activity in ;your neighborhood remember to contact your local law enforcement and try to obtain as much information as possible, such as make and model of suspicious vehicles as well as vehicle color and license plate numbers.