In the Know with the PIO

In the Know with the PIO: Obtaining crash reports online

Farmington Police Department In the Know with the PIO

If you’ve ever been in a traffic crash, you understand the headache of gathering the necessary paperwork to move forward with insurance claims and other legal activities. The Farmington Police Department uses LexisNexis so that citizens may obtain copies of their crash reports online. This option eliminates the need to drive to the police station and allows the person to obtain the report in an easy and efficient manner.

To request a crash report from LexisNexis, you will first need to register for an account at https://ecrash.lexisnexis.com. You may also access this page from FPD’s website at fpdnm.org under the Records & Evidence link on the left side. You will need to enter the state and jurisdiction (law enforcement agency) of where the crash occurred and provide one of the following: report number or first and last name with the date or location of the incident. An $8.00 fee is charged for each report.

Reports can not be obtained for crashes that occur on private property. In the incident of a private property crash, an officer does not complete a report but will respond to assist with information exchange and complete a private property motor vehicle crash information form. However, the following types of private property crashes are exceptions:

1. Those involving a fatality
2. Those involving evident or suspected injury
3. Those involving an extensive amount of property damage
4. Those involving city owned or government vehicles and property
5. Those involving a driver suspected of impairment due to alcohol, medications, illicit drugs or through other chemical methods

There is no fee for individuals listed in the crash report. However, the no-cost report is only available at the Farmington Police Department’s Records Division located at 900 Municipal Drive. Business hours are Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Allen, GeorgetteGeorgette Allen is the community relations liaison and public information officer for the Farmington Police Department. She has been with FPD for eight years, six of which she served as a victim advocate before transitioning to her current position. Georgette holds a Bachelor of Science in Technical Communication from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Social Work from New Mexico Highlands University. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and the National Information Officers Association.

In the Know with the PIO: Ransomware

Farmington Police Department In the Know with the PIO, Internet, Internet Safety , ,

Imagine all your personal information, family photos, financial and other important documents on your computer being held hostage. Those are the only copies because you didn’t back up your files. What would you do to get them back? Would you pay someone, not a computer technician, the person holding your computer hostage?

Ransomware. Malware that’s impossible to remove from your computer. It’s affecting individuals and businesses around the world, with one of the most recent U.S. victims being a Maryland hospital group. Ransomware is one of the most frustrating forms of malware as it prevents or limits access to the victim’s computer. The perpetrator then requires the victim to pay a fee or ransom for the malware to be removed. Frequently, the ransom must be paid with Bitcoin, a digital payment system, making it difficult, if not impossible, to identify the perpetrator. Some individuals and companies, feeling they have no other options, pay. But payment doesn’t always guarantee your computer will be unlocked. So what do you do? The best thing is to take precautions so your computer doesn’t become infected, and back up your files. Unfortunately, even with safeguards in place, malware still finds its way into computers. Software security companies have been working to develop tools to help free computers that are being held hostage. There has been some success in helping victims of ransomware access their files free of charge; however, these tools aren’t effective with every strain of malware. Last year, Tech World published the 7 best ransomware removal tools – how to clean up Cryptolocker, Cryptowall and extortion malware.

To help protect your computer from ransomware, take the standard precautions:

  • BACK UP your files on a regular basis.
  • Install quality security software. PCMag.com just published The Best Antivirus Utilities for 2016. Take the time to compare software and choose one that’s best for you and your family.
  • Don’t open suspicious email attachments or attachments containing a zip file.
  • Don’t click on suspicious links; this includes those received via social media and instant messages.
  • Install a browser add-on to block popups.
  • Disable file sharing.

These are a few of the basic precautions for protecting your computer against malware. For additional tips, visit tripwire.com.

DISCLAIMER: Mentions of businesses, services or products in this article are not endorsements of such by the author, Farmington Police Department or the city of Farmington. Individuals are encouraged to research and choose products and services that are suitable to them.

Allen, GeorgetteGeorgette Allen is the community relations liaison and public information officer for the Farmington Police Department. She has been with FPD for eight years, six of which she served as a victim advocate before transitioning to her current position. Georgette holds a Bachelor of Science in Technical Communication from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Social Work from New Mexico Highlands University. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and the National Information Officers Association.