Posted on February 23, 2010 by Frank Dito

Staten Island Councilmen Warn Residents of Dangers of Social Networking

The Staten Island Advance is reporting that Council Members James Oddo and Vincent Ignazio are warning Staten Island residents of the dangers of social networking sites, such as facebook and Twitter. The pols are warning that frequently updating your status to reflect your travel plans can lead to your home being robbed upon your return.

In people's rush to grab as many "followers" as possible, they sometimes do not know who these "followers" or "friends" really are. While not everyone has malicious intentions, it's important that you know who is able to view your status. Numerous stories are floating around the Internet of "tweeters" who posted daily live updates of their vacation. Some of their followers were not well intentioned and broke into the tweeters home, taking the time to rummage through their personal belongings and rob them. They knew that the tweeter would not be home so they could take their time in searching and even make return trips to finish.

I have written a report about the Dangers of Social Networking during a pending lawsuit which I give to all my clients. I have also discussed with them the dangers that continually updating your status brings. Many people don't realize just how easy it is to find dangerous or damaging information about themselves through a few clicks of a mouse. People need to use common sense and to understand what information they are making public. Just like we used to do when we went on vacation and asked the neighbors to bring in the mail, we need to do the same with our facebook and Twitter accounts by not sharing personal information for all to see. Apart from identity theft or robbery, your physical safety may be put in danger.

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Posted on February 9, 2010 by Frank Dito

Remove the "Ice Missles" From Your Car Before You Drive

From the storm warnings, its clear that winter is upon us with predictions of 12-18 inches of snow for the Staten Island area. The laws are clear that Staten Island homeowners mustclear the snow from their sidewalks but what about clearing snow from their cars? As of yesterday, how ironic, the New York State Senate Transportation Committee was meeting on a bill that prohibits motor vehicles from being operated with an accumulation of snow or ice on their surfaces. The bill was proposed last April but did not pass and was never presented to the Governor for his signature. Another example of politics at its worst.

The purpose behind the bill is sound: Snow and ice accumulates on top of cars and trucks during winter months and become a road hazard for motorists; especially those driving at high speeds on highways. The blinding snow falling from the top of other cars or trucks can cause damage or accidents to vehicles traveling behind. This legislation would create the responsibility of making sure every vehicle is safe for traveling on the road. I wonder why it hasn't passed or why there hasn't been such a law already enacted?

Since its not a law, it still should be just common courtesy. For those of you that don't have garages, take the time to clean the snow and ice off of the roof of your car before driving. I don't believe that people understand the seriousness of the ice and snow on top of there cars. Just recently, with the blizzard in Washington, D.C. and Virginia, numerous people were seriously injured when sheets of ice fell off the roofs of cars and then crashed into the windshields of drivers following behind. People have been killed from the ice alone crashing through the windshield and serious accidents have been caused by the whiteouts that result when the snow explodes off the top of the car. Please, take the time to clean off the snow and ice - it makes driving in the winter safer for all of us.

 

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Posted on February 3, 2010 by Frank Dito

Reward for Capture of Todt Hill Rapist

The Staten Island Advance recently alerted residents to an attempted rape of a Staten Island woman on Four Corners Road and North Entry Road. What was especially troublesome about this crime was how long it took the police department to notify Staten Island residents. I don't pretend to be a police officer nor do i understand how they investigate crimes but I don't think it should have taken 1 week to notify the public. The police should have immediately sought out the public's help in finding this predator. I also think people should have been warned so that the residents could be better able to protect themselves by changing their behavior and being more alert to what is going on around them.

Since this crime hit so close to home, as I am a local resident and business owner, I have decided to post a $1,000.00 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the Todt Hill rapist. I encourage residents that have information about this person to call the New York City Police Department's Crime Stoppers Tip line at (800) 577-TIPS. All your information will be kept confidential and you will receive a unique code number that you may use to collect your reward.

I have begun to staple fliers on light poles around my office and distribute them to local businesses.  I hope that making the public aware of this crime will help to catch this predator before he strikes again. This criminal must be caught before someone gets hurt or killed as a confrontation could easily escalate from an attempt to something much worse. Please lets all do our part in our community and help to solve this crime.

 

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