Crime Watch: Readers say thank you for columns that help them stay safe

We are now into 2016 and I received several emails that really made me feel good — readers appreciate this column provided by the Miami Herald.

This year, I hope to share with you some new initiatives that police all over the country are doing to help keep our communities and our law-enforcement officers safe. For now, let me share some great emails from you the readers:

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Dear Carmen,

Switchboard of Miami would like to thank you for always presenting and providing the best advice on issues that affect the community. Over the years, and under your direction, the Citizens' Crime Watch of Miami Dade and the Miami Herald have become an essential feature in the fight against crime.

Dec. 30's Crime Watch column, “After the holidays, cross-check bills, credit card receipts,” is one more example of your commitment to educate, alert and prevent people from becoming victims, in this case, of identity theft. Thank you.

— Trudy Krasovic, Media Specialist

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Hi Carmen,

I live in the city of Miami and feel I need to respond to your article in the Herald on Dec. 21.

We have recycling bins that are emptied by the city once every two weeks. Cardboard boxes are recyclable. The boxes should be broken down, flattened and placed in blue containers. Putting cardboard in trash bags is not helping our environment.

Thanks for all the good you do!

— Jane Schmidt, Dolce & Gabbana, DSA, Neiman Marcus, Coral Gables

The above reader was correct about our environment, but as I explained to her not every city has “recycle bins.” I don’t have one in my area. Therefore, when there is no bin you need to use black, recyclable garbage bags. The point is for the bad guy not to find out what you have in your home at any time, not just Christmas.

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Dear Carmen,

Wishing you a blessed new year and I just had to write to you to let you know how useful your column has been over the years, but more so this year for me. Thanks to your advice regarding criminals with phone cameras, I was able to avoid getting robbed coming out of a local department store.

I was in tune with a person who kept following me around the store after I had picked up a laptop for my son. Every time I turned around, the same woman was behind me and when I went to pay she was two feet away. Once I paid I asked the store security to follow me to my car because I truly felt that someone was waiting for me. Sure enough, once I was in my car the same woman I saw behind me was with two men outside the store talking and she turned around and went back in while the two men stayed in the parking lot.

This might have not been anything, but you making me aware of these issues alerted me to take action and I thank you very much.

— Veronica, Devon Aire

This story was originally published January 5, 2016 at 4:45 PM with the headline "Crime Watch: Readers say thank you for columns that help them stay safe."