Press Releases

Tim Coffman, a Patrol Sergeant and 20-year veteran of the Department, recently acquired a unique certification from the Texas Crime Prevention Association's Mid-Winter Conference held in South Padre Island, TX.

Sgt. Coffman is the first Officer in the Department's history to hold certification as a Crime Prevention Specialist. To be eligible for this certification, applicants must be a member of the Texas Crime Prevention Association and have prerequisite completion of Crime Prevention I, Crime Prevention II, and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design.

Upon completion of all three courses, applicants must pass a certification examination in review of 106 hours of crime prevention training over topics such as commercial and residential security, commercial and residential security inspections, home owners insurance reduction inspections, neighborhood watch, Project Identification, National Night Out events, and several other crime prevention related programs.

Sgt. Coffman is the 901st member of the Texas Crime Prevention Association to obtain the Certified Crime Prevention Specialist certification, the only certification of its kind currently recognized by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE).

***SAPD***

At the onset of Tax Season, the San Angelo Police Department is warning consumers about ?Phishing? scams from individuals claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Scammers who are posing as tax officials are threatening Texans with fines, arrest, and other penalties if they do not immediately pay a false claim of unpaid taxes. We want to remind consumers to be vigilant and aware of dishonest individuals posing as public tax officials who use fear tactics and intimidation to cheat taxpayers out of their hard-earned money. We would also like you to know how and who to report these scams to ? even if you don?t fall for them. This release contains important information with embedded links that warrant saving for future reference.

Phishing scams are particularly relevant during the tax season. Taxpayers receive emails with the IRS logo and/or claiming to be from the "Taxpayer Advocate Service." The email asks the taxpayer to resolve an issue with his or her "2015 filing" by clicking a link within the email. The web page accessed then solicits personal information such as the recipient's legal name and contact information. Legitimate IRS Officials recommend consumers report all unsolicited email claiming to be from the IRS or an IRS-related function to phishing@irs.gov. Recent scams have used the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) to attract potential victims. Also, if you've experienced any monetary losses due to an IRS-related incident, please report it to the Treasury Inspector General Administration (TIGTA) and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) through their Complaint Assistant to make the information available to investigators.

Telephone scams are conducted by a caller who instructs recipients to immediately make payments for back taxes through wire transfers or a pre-loaded debit card like Green Dot MoneyPak®. Through ?Telephonic spoofing" techniques, the scam phone numbers appear to be that of the IRS or local police departments. Scammers have also used fake names and IRS badge numbers, and may be able to recite the last four digits of a victim's Social Security Number. In some cases, these calls have been accompanied by a fake IRS e-mail sent to support the claim. If victims appear hesitant or unwilling to comply, the caller turns hostile by threatening police arrest or the loss of one's home. If the victim does not respond to these threats, the scammer may have others call the victim pretending to be from a government entity such as a local law enforcement agency. *Officials with Green Dot MoneyPak® warn consumers if they give their MoneyPak number to a criminal, Green Dot is not responsible for paying you back and the funds are not insured against loss.

Other tax scams come via paper mail, fax, fake websites, and by text message or Short Message Service (SMS). Please review the attached IRS directory designed to instruct consumers about what they should do if the receive suspicious IRS-related communication.

If you receive an email claiming to be from the IRS that contains a request for personal information, taxes associated with a large investment, inheritance or lottery:

1. Don't reply.

2. Don't open any attachments. They can contain malicious code that may infect your computer or mobile phone.

3. Don't click on any links. Visit our identity protection page if you clicked on links in a suspicious email or website and entered confidential information.

4. Forward the email as-is to us atphishing@irs.gov. Don't forward scanned images because this removes valuable information.

5. Delete the original email.

1. Record the employee's name, badge number, call back number and caller ID if available.

2. Call 1-800-366-4484 to determine if the caller is an IRS employee with a legitimate need to contact you.

Go to the IRS home page and search on the letter, notice, or form number. Fraudsters often modify legitimate IRS letters. You can also find information at Understanding Your Notice or Letteror by searching Forms and Pubs.

Please send us the email or scanned fax via email to phishing@irs.gov (Subject: 'FAX'). Visit the FATCA home page and Form W8-BEN for more information.

...and you are a U.S. citizen located in the United States or its territories or a U.S. citizen living abroad.

1. Complete the appropriate complaint form with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

2. Forward email to phishing@irs.gov (Subject: 'Stock').

3. If you are a victim of monetary or identity theft, you may submit a complaint through theFTC Complaint Assistant.

1. Complete the appropriate complaint form with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

2. Contact your securities regulator and file a complaint.

3. Forward email to phishing@irs.gov (Subject: 'Stock').

4. If you are a victim of monetary or identity theft, you may report your complaint toeconsumer.gov.

If you discover a website on the Internet that claims to be the IRS but you suspect it is bogus:

Send the URL of the suspicious site to phishing@irs.gov (Subject: 'Suspicious Website').

If you receive a text message or Short Message Service (SMS) message claiming to be from the IRS:

1. Don't reply.

2. Don't open any attachments. They can contain malicious code that may infect your computer or mobile phone.

3. Don't click on any links. If you clicked on links in a suspicious SMS and entered confidential information, visit our identity protection page.

4. Forward the text as-is, to us at 202-552-1226.Note: Standard text messaging rates apply.

5. If possible, in a separate text, forward the originating number to us at 202-552-1226

6. Delete the original text.

For more information about IRS scams, visit https://www.irs.gov/uac/Report-Phishing

***SAPD***

Yesterday, January 26, 2016 at 4:43 pm, San Angelo Police responded to a robbery call at the H and H convenience store located at 2220 N Howard Street. The clerk reported a Hispanic male in his 20's came into the store. The clerk described the male as about 5?6?? and skinny wearing dark clothing with his face covered. The clerk stated the male suspect displayed a handgun and demanded the money in the cash register.

When Police arrived, a perimeter was established around the store but the suspect was not located. The suspect left with an undisclosed amount of cash prior to police arrival. He has not been located at this time.

Early this morning, January 27, 2016 at 4:20 am, San Angelo Police responded to another robbery call at Stripes located at 1821 N Bryant Blvd. The clerk reported two Hispanic males entered the store with their faces covered and displayed a handgun. One of the suspects was in dark clothing and the other was in a white shirt and dark pants. The suspects demanded money from the register and left prior to Police arrival with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Detective C Soto with the Criminal Investigation Division is the lead investigator for both of the Aggravated Robberies. The investigations are still ongoing and there is no other information available at this time. Investigators are still in the process of determining if these robberies are related.

If anyone has any information about these robberies Detective Soto can be contacted at 325-659-8012. To remain anonymous, tip online at http://bit.ly/SAPDTips247 , via text: text TIP SAPD to 888777 and follow the prompts, or by phone at 1-855-TIPS-247.

San Angelo Police are continuing their investigation into identifying and locating a man who fled a traffic stop last night.

At approximately 8:21 p.m., a San Angelo Police Officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle for expired registration near the 1100 block of Roosevelt. The vehicle pulled into the River Point Apartment complex when suddenly the driver opened the door and ran towards the Concho River. The vehicle, a grey 2004 Dodge Neon, was left in drive and continued to roll until it hit a tree? just missing a nearby carport.

The driver, described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5?08?, 150lbs, with a short haircut, continued to run into the Concho River where he swam across an exited on the west bank.

A perimeter of the area was established and multiple units, including a K9 Team, searched for the suspect but he was not located.

During a search of the vehicle, Officers located a loaded handgun, a small quantity of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a wallet that was determined stolen during a prior incident.

The vehicle's registration sticker was also identified as belonging to a different vehicle and was seized. Attempts to contact the vehicle's registered owner were unsuccessful.

If you have any information about the identity of the suspect, call (325) 657-4264. Anonymous tips can be made online at http://bit.ly/SAPDTips247, via text: text TIP SAPD to 888777 and follow the prompts, or by phone at 1-855-TIPS-247.

***SAPD***

Yesterday, January 25, 2016 at approximately 10:00 pm, San Angelo Police were dispatched to the 7-11 in the 2200 block of N. Chadbourne for a report of a robbery.

The store clerk stated a Hispanic male came into the store wearing a hood covering his head. The suspect approached the counter and pulled out a black handgun and demanded the money from the register.

The suspect was described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5 foot 7 inches and in his late twenties to early thirties. The suspect wore two hoodies. The outside hoodie was black in color and had a white ?3? on the right arm. The second hoodie was black in color and had a blue ?Superman? symbol in the middle.

The suspect left the store with an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect has not been located at this time.

Detective Noel Anderson is the lead investigator for this case. If you have any information about this robbery or can identify the suspect, Detective Anderson can be contacted at 325-657-4344. To remain anonymous, tip online at http://bit.ly/SAPDTips247 , via text: text TIP SAPD to 888777 and follow the prompts, or by phone at 1-855-TIPS-247. You can also call the Crime Stoppers Anonymous 24-Hour Tip Hotline at 325-658-HELP; submit a web-tip at http://bit.ly/CrimeStoppersWebTip or you can text CSSA plus your message to CRIMES.