Sounds like Winter Weather is Heading Our Way

With the recent prediction of KC’s first winter precipitation for the season, we want to reassure our Central Patrol Community that your officers are and will continue to be working hard to keep everyone safe.

Please allow extra time to reach your destination as well as make sure all windows are clear of ice and snow that could reduce vision, no “Peep Hole” driving. Driving with Ice or snow covered windows as well as “Peep Hole” driving is a violation of ordinance 70-849a as well as a hazard to the communities’ safety.

Make sure cell phones are fully charged before leaving and don’t rely on the car charger in your vehicle.

Make sure you have a Roadside Assistance and contact list available.

Most of all partners, respect each other, we want everyone to arrive at their destination safely!

Here are a few Extra TIPs to keep you safe during winter driving.

Winterize Your Car

Driving in the winter means snow, sleet and ice that can lead to slower traffic, hazardous road conditions, hot tempers and unforeseen dangers, please plan ahead and allow extra time to reach destination.

Weather
At any temperature -- 20° Fahrenheit below zero or 90° Fahrenheit above -- weather affects road and driving conditions and can pose serious problems. It is important to monitor forecasts on the Web, radio, TV, cable weather channel, or in the daily papers.

Your Car
Prepare your car for winter. Start with a checkup that includes:

• Checking the ignition, brakes, wiring, hoses and fan belts.
• Changing and adjusting the spark plugs.
• Checking the air, fuel and emission filters, and the PCV valve.
• Inspecting the distributor.
• Checking the battery.
• Checking the tires for air, sidewalls wear and tread depth.
• Checking antifreeze levels and the freeze line.

Your car should have a tune-up (check the owner's manual for the recommended interval) to ensure better gas mileage, quicker starts and faster response on pick-up and passing power.

Necessary Equipment
An emergency situation on the road can arise at any time and you must be prepared. In addition to making sure you have the tune-up, a full tank of gas, and fresh anti-freeze, you should carry the following items in your trunk:

• Properly inflated spare tire, wheel wrench and tripod-type jack
• Shovel
• Jumper cables
• Tow and tire chains
• Bag of salt or cat litter
• Tool kit

Essential Supplies
Be prepared with a "survival kit" that should always remain in the car. Replenish after use. Essential supplies include:

• Working flashlight and extra batteries
• Reflective triangles and brightly-colored cloth
• Compass
• First aid kit
• Exterior windshield cleaner
• Ice scraper and snow brush
• Wooden stick matches in a waterproof container
• Scissors and string/cord
• Non-perishable, high-energy foods like unsalted canned nuts, dried fruits, and hard candy.

In addition, if you are driving long distances under cold, snowy, and icy conditions, you should also carry supplies to keep you warm such as heavy woolen mittens, socks, a cap and blankets.

If You Become Stranded...

• Do not leave your car unless you know exactly where you are, how far it is to possible help, and are certain you will improve your situation.
• To attract attention, light two flares and place one at each end of the car a safe distance away. Hang a brightly colored cloth from your antenna.
• If you are sure the car's exhaust pipe is not blocked, run the engine and heater for about 10 minutes every hour or so depending upon the amount of gas in the tank.
• To protect you from frostbite and hypothermia use the woolen items and blankets to keep warm.
• Keep at least one window open slightly. Heavy snow and ice can seal a car shut.
• Eat a hard candy to keep your mouth moist.

Driving safely on icy roads

1. Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
2. Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
3. Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
4. Keep your lights and windshield clean.
5. Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.
6. Don't use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
7. Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
8. Don't pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you're likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.
9. Don't assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.

If your rear wheels skid...

1. Take your foot off the accelerator.
2. Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they're sliding right, steer right.
3. If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control.
4. If you have standard brakes, pump them gently.
5. If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes. Apply steady pressure to the brakes. You will feel the brakes pulse — this is normal.

If your front wheels skid...

1. Take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral, but don't try to steer immediately.
2. As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Then put the transmission in "drive" or release the clutch, and accelerate gently.

If you get stuck...

1. Do not spin your wheels. This will only dig you in deeper.
2. Turn your wheels from side to side a few times to push snow out of the way.
3. Use a light touch on the gas, to ease your car out.
4. Use a shovel to clear snow away from the wheels and the underside of the car.
5. Pour sand, kitty litter, gravel or salt in the path of the wheels, to help get traction.
6. Try rocking the vehicle. (Check your owner's manual first — it can damage the transmission on some vehicles.) Shift from forward to reverse, and back again. Each time you're in gear, give a light touch on the gas until the vehicle gets going.

Increase in Stolen Autos

During the extreme winter months, area law enforcement agencies see an increase in vehicles left running being stolen.

Not only is it tempting to the criminals, but is a violation of city ordinance.

Last year, all crime categories were down in Central Patrol except for Stolen Auto’s. One factor for the increase is vehicles being left running while unoccupied.

City Ordinance 70-251 Prohibits a vehicle from being  left running while unattended without the use of a remote starting device.

Remote starters start the engine, but do not disengage the transmission like when you use a key.

And partners, it doesn’t stop there.

Many insurance companies will not cover losses of vehicles taken while left running since the violation of a city ordinance was a contributing factor in the loss.

To get around this, many victims will give false statements to police regarding the incidents leading up to the theft.

These false statements could lead to charges of filing a false police report to insurance fraud.

I totally understand the challenges of living in a urban setting with many homes not having garages. I just want to make sure everyone is aware of these trends and ordinances and ask you take precautionary measures to prevent yourself from becoming a victim.

Master Patrol Officer James Schriever, CIO, Central Patrol Division, Office 816-759-6313, Cell 816-719-8350

Venessa Huskey

Neighborhood & Community Liaison

City of Kansas City

414 East 12th Street, 4th floor

KCMO 64106

voice: (816) 513-3019

fax: (816) 513-3201

email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The City of Kansas City, Mo., has once again taken the lead in implementing progressive sustainability initiatives with the debut of a new mail preference service powered by nonprofit organization Catalog Choice. This service allows residents to opt out of receiving unsolicited junk mail and derives from a partnership between Catalog Choice and local non-profit organization Keep Kansas City Beautiful, an affiliate of the City's Bridging the Gap.

Chicago, Ill.; Berkeley, Calif.; Tompkins County (Ithaca) N.Y.; and Marion County (Salem), Ore. are also participating in this program.

Any Kansas City, Mo., resident or business can create a free account at http://kkcb.catalogchoice.org and choose which types of junk mail they no longer wish to receive, including advertisements, phone books and credit card solicitations.

The City hopes this initiative will contribute to a cleaner environment while cutting collection and disposal expenses. According to a 2008 Environmental Protection Agency study*, more than three million tons of junk mail are discarded each year. With the annual collection and landfill cost of these mailings and phone books estimated at up to $10 per household, the cost savings for Kansas City, Mo., will be significant.

"Reducing the amount of solid waste generated in Kansas City is our first priority in the hierarchy of ‘reduce, reuse, and recycle.'  It's also the most effective way to reduce the City's cost for solid waste management at a time of extremely tight City budgets," said Councilwoman Jan Marcason.

The City's Solid Waste Division has one of the most cost-effective trash and recycling programs in the country, spending $18.35 million annually, or about $7 less per household than the national average. To address growing concern about future solid waste issues, the City developed a Long-Term Solid Waste Strategic Management Plan in 2008. Catalog Choice will help the City of Kansas City, Mo., achieve its goal of diverting 80 percent of waste from landfills by 2020. Last year, the City diverted 30 percent of its waste from the landfills.

"Keep Kansas City Beautiful is a leader taking strides toward a zero-waste mission - and setting a positive precedent for consumer choice," said Chuck Teller, executive director of Catalog Choice. "The City is empowering its constituents to stop unwanted mail and phone books at the source while cutting costs for the community."

For media inquiries or more information on the City's Office of Environmental Quality, please contact Dennis Murphey, the City's chief environmental officer, at 816-513-3459.

For media inquiries or more information about solid waste management, please contact Dennis Gagnon, public information officer for the Public Works Department, 816-513-2659.

* Source: Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the U.S.: Detailed Tables and Figures for 2008, U.S. EPA (2009)

Kurtis is modeling our new T-Shirt in Charcoal Gray.

Elizabeth is modeling our new T-Shirt in Kiwi.

Shirts are $10 Each and can be purchased by Emailing Angie or by coming to our General Meetings.

We'll offer them for sale via Pay Pal soon on the website!

Ah, summer—when everyone’s yards are well-maintained and all houses are cleaned of trash and there’s no such thing as an abandoned property. Wrong. Are you plagued with a house next door with grass up to your waist or garbage on the front or vermin from an abandoned house? If a friendly chat with the homeowner hasn’t created change, it might be time to open a code violation file on the property. It’s easy to do and it’s easy to find out who owns the property if it’s been abandoned.

True, our city code department is overworked and undermanned, but if you never open a file on the property, nothing will ever get done about it. Once the file is open, it’s up to you to check and check often. (the squeaky wheel strategy)

You can find out the name of the property owner by going to:

http://kivaweb.kcmo.org/kivanet/2/index.cfm

That leads you to “Main Menu” click on “Land Information System.” All you have to do is fill out the house number, the direction and the street and click on “Search.”

You can open a code violation file by calling 3-1-1. Or, you can fill out a complaint on line at:

http://www.kcmo.org/CKCMO/Depts/CityManagersOffice/The3-1-1ActionCenter/RequestForService/index.htm

Want Tower Homes Association to know about your complaint? Contact your director by clicking HERE.

Not sure what district you are in? That can be found by clicking HERE.