With the holiday season upon us, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you season's greetings and all the best in the New Year.  In the past year, we have taken great strides in the DA’s Office to reduce crime and continue successful programs to make Brooklyn a safer place. 

This past year, there has been a significant reduction in crime as dangerous criminals have been taken off the streets.  There have been 18 fewer homicides and 39 fewer sex abuse cases this year.  My office has gone into the community to educate citizens about the services, programs and initiatives that my office provides.  We have organized several predatory lending conferences so that you will know how to prevent predators from swindling you through high cost home loans and home equity theft.  To get more information about predatory lending and tips to identify these types of scams, go to www.brooklynda.org.   

Our ComALERT program has had tremendous success reducing recidivism.  The program acts as a bridge between prison and the community for returning parolees. ComALERT assists formerly incarcerated individuals in making a successful transition from prison to a home by providing mental health treatment and counseling, drug treatment and counseling, help with earning a GED, and help with transitional housing and employment. A recent DCJS (Division of Criminal Justice Services) – funded study of our program shows that out of all the 2006 ComALERT graduates who have been released for at least 1 year, less than 12% have been re-arrested with less than 5% being convicted for a new crime, as opposed to 44.1% rearrested and 10.4% new convictions nationally. 

As part of our Law Exploring program which is coordinated with the Boy Scouts of America, we teach high school students in a mock trial team.  This year’s Brooklyn Mock Trial team won first place in the national competition.

Our Drug Treatment Alternative-To-Prison (DTAP) program also had a very successful year.  Sixty-five graduates were honored at a ceremony in July.  DTAP, which was created in 1990, provides residential drug treatment to drug-addicted, non-violent, repeat offenders, as an alternative to prison.  The participants learn career skills and get substance abuse treatment and counseling.  The program helped many former drug abusers overcome their addictions, turn their lives around and lead productive, crime-free lives. 

Our Neighborhood Offices expanded this year, adding a new Midwood office as well as a new mobile Neighborhood Office Van which travels to different areas in Brooklyn to expand outreach to neighborhoods.  The goal of the Van and the Neighborhood Offices is to inform the public of the services that the DA’s Office offers, provide tips on crime prevention and take complaints from concerned residents.  There are currently 19 neighborhood offices.  You can find an interactive map of the neighborhood offices on our website at www.brooklynda.org. 

We plan to continue this success in 2008 with an expansion of our ComALERT program.  We have called for Congress to pass the Second Chance Act.  The bill authorizes up to $65 million in grants from state and local governments to develop prisoner re-entry initiatives and a $15 million re-entry program for community and faith-based organizations to deliver mentoring and transitional services for people returning from prison or jail.  It would be the first piece of comprehensive legislation specifically designed to reduce recidivism. 

In the new year, we will also continue to educate the students in our schools through our Legal Lives program and our Choices and Consequences program which is designed to combat the problem of drunk driving.  We also plan to increase services and help more domestic violence victims in our Family Justice Center, an all-in-one location where domestic violence victims can receive a variety of services under one roof. 

Unfortunately, at this time of year, there are always predators looking to take advantage of the holiday spirit.  Consumer and Internet Fraud is a major problem, so it important to know what to look out for so that you do not become a victim.

CONSUMER AND INTERNET FRAUD
   

More and more consumers are shopping online.  Others may buy products from department stores or even vendors who sell merchandise on the street.  During this holiday season, it is important for consumers to be wary of fraud. 

Internet shopping has become very popular with sites like Best Buy, Amazon.com and auction sites like Ebay.  Many department stores have their own Web sites where you can make purchases from the comfort of your home. 

These sites are lurking with scam artists.  There have been reports of sellers accepting money for products the consumer never received.  In some cases, the consumer may receive a damaged product or not the same product that was advertised.  It is sometimes hard to tell the difference between reputable online sellers and criminals who use the Internet to rob people. 

Another problem that consumers encounter is purchasing counterfeit goods.  You see many retail stores, Internet sites and street vendors selling items that they claim to be manufactured by well-known, reputable companies like Coach or Gucci but they turn out to be imitation products. 

In order to avoid being ripped off, here are some tips to look out for:

• Learn as much about the seller as you can before making purchases from them.  If the seller is unfamiliar, check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau.  Try to get an address or a phone number in case there is a problem with the product.
• Be careful shopping online.  Don’t buy items from stores and Web sites that you’ve never heard of. 
• If prices are too good to be true, then it’s probably a scam. 
• Take receipts from all of your credit card purchases. 
• For Internet auction sites like Ebay, be wary if there is no reserve or minimum bid on high-priced items.  Also be wary if the seller claims that the item is brand new and still in its original packaging.

Here are some tips to identify if a product is counterfeit:

•  The labels are poorly attached.

•  The tag inside the garment is different from the label located on the outside.

•  If a well-known brand is being sold at much lower prices, it’s probably a fake.  Sometimes counterfeit
   prices are lower than the actual cost to make the product.

•  If you’re in a store and all the brands look exactly the same – same base garment, same stitching and 
   pocket lines, they are probably phony.

•  Many companies such as Coach sell their products only in their own stores or high-end department stores.  If you see these products being sold on the street or in some discount store, then they are probably counterfeit.  Coach, for example, like many other companies, will list store locations on its Web site.

• For leather goods, you can tell that a product is not authentic just by smelling it.  Counterfeiters will try to pass a product made of vinyl material as leather.

• Some brands such as Rolex only deal through authorized retailers.  There’s no other way to buy them.

• All genuine watches come with elaborate packaging and warranties.