Town Services

Commonly Requested Forms

• Solicitors Permit
• Town Code Appeals
• Vacant House Check
• Alarm Registration

Mailing address:
Farmington Police Department
319 New Britain Ave.
Unionville, Connecticut 06085

All forms listed on this page are available from the Records Department in written format. You may contact us at (860) 675-2420 if there are any questions you need answered.

Burglary Prevention Tips

Protect yourself and your neighbors, report suspicious persons and vehicles!

Often a burglar will drive or walk through a subdivision looking for a home that appears unoccupied. This can be determined by clues such as an open garage without cars, an accumulation of mail or newspapers, packages of dry cleaning left at the front door, or notes stuck on the door. The burglar will then approach the residence and ring the doorbell. If a resident answers, the burglar may pretend to be lost and ask for directions.

If you have someone approach your home in this manner, call the police immediately. Try to get a description of the person and any involved vehicle, along with a license plate number if possible to pass on to the police. The police will verify the story and offer any necessary assistance.

Promptly notify Police dispatch at 675-2400 or in the event of an active burglary, 911.

• Neighbors watching out for each other is the basic concept of neighborhood patrolling.
• Know the neighbors on all sides of you.
• Learn what vehicles belong there.

• Secure your home when you leave even for short periods of time.
• Deny the burglar the opportunity to make you a victim by securing all doors and windows before you leave!

• Garage burglaries often occur during the day. The thief simply walks into an open garage, removes what they want and is gone in a minute or two.

How to Increase the Odds of Getting Your Property Back in the Event that it is Stolen
While we hope that you do not become the victim of a crime, we would like to be able to identify your property should we locate it during an investigation. We often see property suspected to be stolen, but are unable to establish the identity of the rightful owner. When that happens, one of two things occur. We may not be able to seize the property, and must leave it with the suspects, or we seize the property and are unable to identify the rightful owner.

These problems are common and are a significant source of frustration for both law enforcement and crime victims. Making sure this doesn't happen is simple by following these steps:

• Take an inventory of your belongings.
• Note the make, model, color, size and serial number.
• Photographs and videos also work well.

Engrave your belongings. Depending on the amount of room on the article to be engraved you might consider the standard engraving format, which is to engrave your Connecticut operators license number. Other options would be your last name, your initials or the name of your business.

Internet Safety Tips

The Internet has opened up a world of information for anyone with a computer and a connection. Your children will learn about computers. But just as you wouldn't send children near a busy road without safety rules, you shouldn't send them on to the information superhighway without rules of the road. Too many dangers from pedophiles to con artists can reach children (and adults) through the Internet.

Establish guidelines for Internet use with your parents or another adult. Before you go online, decide how much time is okay for you to spend on the Internet each day and figure out what you can and cannot do. After you get more familiar with the Internet, you and your parents can talk again and change the guidelines. Post them next to the computer for easy reference.

1. Don't share your password with anyone else.
2. Before you share any information about yourself on the Internet, get your parents' permission.
3. Double-check the URL (the address of the Web site) before hitting the Enter key. Make sure the spelling is right. This will help ensure you go to the site you want, and not some other place.
4. Check with your parents or another adult you trust before going into a chat room. Different chat rooms have different rules and different types of people going to them. You and your parents want to make sure it is an appropriate place for you before you enter.
5. If something you see or read online makes you uncomfortable, leave the site. Tell a parent or a teacher right away.
6. Never send a picture of yourself (or anything else) to someone in e-mail unless your parents say it is okay.
7. If you receive unwanted, offensive, mean, threatening, or harassing e-mail, do not respond to it. Tell your parents or another adult right away.
8. Remember: not everything you read on the Internet is true.
9. Don't give out your age without checking with your parents first.
10. Never give out your full name (first and last). Don't give out your first name without checking with your parents or another adult first.
11. Never give out your home address over the Internet.
12. Ask your parents or an adult before signing up for anything online.
13. Don't give out your credit card number (or anyone else's) without permission from a parent.
14. Remember, when you are online, what you do is up to you. Don't do anything you don't want to do.
15. Don't open files or e-mail from someone you don't know. You don't know what might be inside—the files could contain a computer virus or offensive material.
16. Keep the computer in a common space, like the family room, den, or living room.
17. Never agree to meet someone you met on the Internet in person without your parents' permission. You should never meet someone you met online alone. If you do set up a meeting with an online friend, meet in a public place and go with your parent or guardian.
18. Remember that any information you share about yourself can be seen by anyone who is online.
19. Don't give out your phone number.
20. Talk to your parents (or your teacher or another adult) about the kinds of places you go and things you do and see when you are online.
21. Pick a name—different from your real name—to use online.
22. Before you go into a public area, like a chat room or discussion forum, decide with your parents if it is okay to give out your e-mail address.
23. If someone online asks you too many personal questions, be suspicious. Stop talking with them.
24. Don't give out the name of your school.
25. Always remember that people online may not be who they say they are. It is very easy for people to pretend to be someone they are not.
26. Don't do things online that you wouldn't do in real life.
27. Be careful when someone offers you something for free, like gifts or money. You don't know what their motives are. Decline the offer and tell your parents.
28. Treat other people as you'd like to be treated. Never use bad language or send mean messages online.
29. The "off" button is always there. Use it if you need to. You don't have to stay online if you don't want to.

What Are Signs That Your Child Might Be At Risk On-line?

Your child spends large amounts of time on-line, especially at night. Most children that fall victim to computer-sex offenders spend large amounts of time on-line, particularly in chat rooms. They may go on-line after dinner and on the weekends. They may be latchkey kids whose parents have told them to stay at home after school. They go on-line to chat with friends, make new friends, pass time, and sometimes look for sexually explicit information. While much of the knowledge and experience gained may be valuable, parents should consider monitoring the amount of time spent on-line. Children on-line are at the greatest risk during the evening hours. While offenders are on-line around the clock, most work during the day and spend their evenings on-line trying to locate and lure children or seeking pornography.

You find pornography on your child's computer. Pornography is often used in the sexual victimization of children. Sex offenders often supply their potential victims with pornography as a means of opening sexual discussions and for seduction. Child pornography may be used to show the child victim that sex between children and adults is "normal." Parents should be conscious of the fact that a child may hide the pornographic files on diskettes from them. This may be especially true if the computer is used by other family members.

Your child receives phone calls from men you don't know or is making calls, sometimes long distance, to numbers you don't recognize. While talking to a child victim on-line is a thrill for a computer-sex offender, it can be very cumbersome. Most want to talk to the children on the telephone. They often engage in "phone sex" with the children and often seek to set up an actual meeting for real sex. While a child may be hesitant to give out his/her home phone number, the computer-sex offenders will give out theirs. With Caller ID, they can readily find out the child's phone number. Some computer-sex offenders have even obtained toll-free 800 numbers, so that their potential victims can call them without their parents finding out. Others will tell the child to call collect. Both of these methods result in the computer-sex offender being able to find out the child's phone number.

Your child receives mail, gifts, or packages from someone you don't know. As part of the seduction process, it is common for offenders to send letters, photographs, and all manner of gifts to their potential victims. Computer-sex offenders have even sent plane tickets in order for the child to travel across the country to meet them.

Your child turns the computer monitor off or quickly changes the screen on the monitor when you come into the room. A child looking at pornographic images or having sexually explicit conversations does not want you to see it on the screen.

Your child becomes withdrawn from the family. Computer-sex offenders will work very hard at driving a wedge between a child and their family or at exploiting their relationship. They will accentuate any minor problems at home that the child might have. Children may also become withdrawn after sexual victimization.

Your child is using an on-line account belonging to someone else. Even if you don't subscribe to an on-line service or Internet service, your child may meet an offender while on-line at a friend's house or the library. Most computers come preloaded with on-line and/or Internet software. Computer-sex offenders will sometimes provide potential victims with a computer account for communications with them.

What Should You Do If You Suspect Your Child Is Communicating With A Sexual Predator On-line?

Consider talking openly with your child about your suspicions. Tell them about the dangers of computer-sex offenders.

1. Review what is on your child's computer. If you don't know how, ask a friend, coworker, relative, or other knowledgeable person. Pornography or any kind of sexual communication can be a warning sign.
2. Use the Caller ID service to determine who is calling your child. Most telephone companies that offer Caller ID also offer a service that allows you to block your number from appearing on someone else's Caller ID. Telephone companies also offer an additional service feature that rejects incoming calls that you block. This rejection feature prevents computer-sex offenders or anyone else from calling your home anonymously.
3. Monitor your child's access to all types of live electronic communications (i.e., chat rooms, instant messages, Internet Relay Chat, etc.), and monitor your child's e-mail. Computer-sex offenders almost always meet potential victims via chat rooms. After meeting a child on-line, they will continue to communicate electronically often via e-mail.

Links to Further Information

• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Home Page
• FBI- A Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety

Tips for the Elderly

Crime is a frightening problem especially for older adults. You may be concerned about burglary; fraud; muggings; and purse snatchings. But, as an older adult, you don’t have to feel helpless. You can learn how to reduce your chances of becoming a crime victim.

How Can I Protect Myself?

You can start by learning some basic crime prevention information. For example, it helps to know:

• Criminals look for the easiest opportunities to commit a crime.
• Look for and remove any opportunities before criminals spot them.
• You don’t necessarily need physical strength, agility, speed or expensive security devices.
• You do need to be alert, cautious and self-confident.

At home, consider these tips:

Keep doors locked.

• Install easy-to-use deadbolt locks.
• Don’t attach an ID tag to your key ring.
• Install new locks if you move to a new home or lose your key.
• Keep garage and basement doors locked at all times.




Secure windows.

• Draw the curtains and blinds at night.
• Don’t leave your windows open at night. Use floor or ceiling fans for air circulation.




Install and use a peephole.

• Never open the door to strangers or let them know you are home alone. Ask service people for an ID before you open the door. If you did not request service, call the agency (look phone number up in the phone book) and verify the call for service.
• Remember, chain locks can be forced open. If someone asks to use your phone, make the call for him or her. Never let a stranger into your home.




Consider a pet.

• Even a small dog can provide some protection besides the companionship.




Protect valuables.

• Keep money and other valuable papers and securities in the bank or safety deposit box.
• Have your Social Security or retirement check deposited directly into your bank account.
• Mark your valuables (TV, VCR, and computer equipment) with your driver’s license number and the state’s abbreviation.
• Keep an inventory list of your valuables and note model and serial numbers on that list. Videotape your home and take 35-mm photos of your valuables. Keep a copy of the list, videotape and photos in your safety deposit box.




Organize a buddy system.

• Have neighbors watch out for each other and report suspicious activity to the police department.
• Don’t shop alone – take a friend – and don’t shop at night.




Beware of phone scams.

• Don’t give personal or financial information to anyone over the phone.
• If you are a woman living alone, don’t reveal that information to anyone on the phone.
• Hang up on nuisance callers and report chronic nuisance calls to the phone company.

When You Go Out, Play it Smart

Secure your home.

• Make sure all-exterior doors and windows are secured. If you will be returning after dark, have an interior light set on a timer so when you come home, there will be a light on in your home.
• Don’t leave a note on your door and never leave a house key under the doormat, in a flowerpot, or on the ledge of the door.
• Garage doors should always be kept closed and locked – even if you are home.




Vehicle security.

• Always lock your car doors when you get into your car.
• Keep your passenger window rolled up.
• Keep your purse on the floor next to you not on the passenger seat.

Know What to DO if You Are a Victim of a Crime

If your home is burglarized while you are out:

• Don’t go in if you suspect someone is still inside your home.
• Call your local law enforcement agency from your neighbor’s home.
• Don’t tough anything once you do enter your home. You may destroy potential evidence.

If someone breaks into your home while you are there:

• Don’t confront the burglar.
• Lock the door to the room you are in or lock yourself in the bathroom if you are unable to leave your home safely.
• Call 911 immediately.