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Smith County Crime Prevention
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Crime Prevention
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There are limited circumstances when a Texas Peace Officer may make an arrest
for an offense which is not committed within their presence or within their view.
Under circumstances where an arrest is not made “on sight” Deputies will gather
information and facts for your report and forward that information to
Criminal Investigations
for follow up. Detectives will build a criminal case based on the initial report;
attempt to gather additional facts and evidence through witness statements, interviews,
surveillance, and scientific methods.
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Sex Offenders:
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Criminal Investigations is responsible for registering and tracking convicted
sex offenders living in Smith County. The Smith County Sheriff’s office
is dedicated to ensuring that information about sex offenders is up to date and
being reported accurately to the Texas Department of Public Safety Sex Offender
Database. Periodic unannounced checks and sweeps are conducted across Smith County
throughout the year to ensure sex offenders are living and working where they are
supposed to be in order to ensure public safety and the safety of our children.
These sweeps are conducted in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies and
the U.S. Marshal’s Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force.
To find out if a Sex Offender lives in or close to your neighborhood,
registered sex offenders are tracked and you can get a map of where registered sex
offenders live anywhere in Texas by logging onto the
Texas Department of Public
Safety web site
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Auto Thefts and Burglaries:
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Many thefts and burglaries can be prevented and half of all automobile thefts in
Texas are the result of someone leaving their keys in the car. Follow some simple
rules to guard your safety:
- Do not store your spare keys inside your car. Experienced thieves know where to
look for spare or hidden keys.
- Take advantage of Car Alarm Systems, steering wheel, ignition column devices, and
kill switches.
- Park in well lit areas.
- Do not leave purses, currency, packages, computers, purses, GPS systems, or other
expensive items visible inside your car whether the vehicle is locked or not. Take
them inside your home, lock them in the trunk, or hide them under the seats. Thieves
look for vehicles with easily accessible items to grab quickly and get away undetected.
If there is nothing inside, a thief will most likely leave your vehicle alone.
- Take garage door openers with you. A thief can use it to access your home.
- Do not leave personal documents or mail inside your car. A thief can use them to
steal your identity or identify where you live.
In 2010-2011, over 75% of auto burglaries reported to Smith County Sheriff’s
Office were the result of unlocked car doors where electronic items
and purses were left in a vehicle overnight. Check the following links for additional
helpful hints on safete:
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