Broadview Heights Police Department 
Phone: 440-526-5400 
Fax: 440-526-2165 
EMERGENCY 9-1-1

Postal Address: 9543 Broadview Road, Building 19, Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147

Location:  The Police Department is located at the southeast corner of the Broadview Center property.  Enter the main drive, turn right at the flag pole, and follow the signs to the Police Building.

Records office is open weekdays 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m  

Michael L. Vizer, the Chief of Police, is the administrative head and chief operations officer of the department. He oversees law enforcement functions and directs the allocation of department resources and personnel. He functions in accordance with policies established by City Council and the Director of Public Safety. He reports to the Mayor who is also Director of Public Safety.

ITEMS OF OF CURRENT INTEREST

CELEBRATE SAINT PATRICK'S DAY SAFELY!

• For many people, St. Patrick’s Day has become a popular opportunity to celebrate with friends and family. Designate a sober driver this St. Patty’s Day.  Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.
• Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety show that over 700 people were killed nationwide in crashes involving drunk drivers during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday from 2006 to 2010. There were 129 lives lost in 2010 alone. Designate a sober driver this St. Patrick’s Day!
• Whether you’re meeting a few friends at the local pub or attending the parade, if you plan on drinking alcohol, please don’t drive—designate a sober driver. 
• Please remember to designate your sober driver before the St. Patrick’s Day parties begin. Remember…Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.

Drunk-Driving Prevention

Following these easy steps, drivers can enjoy a safe and festive holiday without jeopardizing their lives and the lives of others who may be on the road.

• Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin.
• Before drinking, designate a sober driver and leave your car keys at home.
• If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely.
• If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact your local law enforcement.
• And remember, if you know people who are about to drive or ride with someone who is impaired, help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely. If a friend is drunk and wants to drive, encourage him/her not to, even if it means taking his/her keys away.

Impaired Driving Creates Serious Consequences

• Driving a vehicle or riding a motorcycle while impaired is not worth the risk. The consequences are serious and can last a lifetime. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving while impaired can be significant.
• Drunk driving violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver licenses, higher insurance rates, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses ranging from attorney fees, court costs, car towing and repairs, and lost wages due to time off from work.

How to Avoid Credit Card Skimmers

Think Twice Before You Swipe

By Andy O'Donnell, About.com Guide

You rarely let your credit card out of your sight, so how do bad guys get your credit card information? Some may get it from a friend waiting tables at a restaurant, but many credit card thieves get your card info using a device called a credit card skimmer.

A credit card skimmer is a portable capture device that is attached in front of or on top of the legitimate scanner. The skimmer passively records the card data as you insert your credit card into the real scanner.

Credit card thieves will often temporarily affix the card skimmer device to gas pumps, ATMs, or other convenient self-service, point-of-sale terminals. The bad guys like gas pumps and ATMs because they are easy to retrieve their skimmers from and they generally receive a lot of traffic.

Skimmer technology has become cheaper and more sophisticated over the years. Some skimmers capture the card information using a magnetic reader and use a miniature camera to record you typing in your PIN number. Some skimmers will even go so far as to place a secondary keypad over top of the actual keypad. The secondary keypad captures your PIN number and records it while passing your input to the real keypad.

How can you detect and avoid having your credit card skimmed at the ATM or gas pump?

1. Inspect the card reader and the area near the

PIN pad

Many banks and merchants realize that skimming is on the rise and will often post a picture of what the real device is supposed to look like so you will see that there is something attached that is not supposed to be there if a skimmer is present. Of course, a card skimmer could put a fake picture over the real picture so this isn't a fail-safe way to spot a skimmer.

Most skimming devices are designed to be temporarily affixed to the ATM or gas pump so they can be easily retrieved by the bad guys once they've collected a batch of cardholder data.

If you think the scanning device doesn't look like it matches the machine's color and style, it might be a skimmer.

2. Look at other nearby gas pumps or ATMs card

readers to see if they match the one you are using.

Unless skimmers are running a large operation, they probably are only skimming at one gas pump at a time at the station you are using. Look at the pump next to yours to see if the card reader and setup look different. If they do then you might have just spotted a skimmer.

3. Trust your instincts. If in doubt, use another

machine somewhere else.

Our brains are excellent at recognizing things that seem out of place. If you get a sense that something looks off about the ATM you are about to use, you might be better off using one that you feel more comfortable with.

4. Avoid using your PIN number at the gas pump.

When you pay at the pump with your debit/credit card, you usually have the option to use it as a credit or a debit card. It's best to choose the credit option that allows you to avoid entering your PIN in sight of a card skimmer camera. Even if there is not a card skimmer camera in sight someone could be watching you enter your PIN and could subsequently mug you and take your card to the nearest ATM to withdraw some cash.

When you use it as a credit card you usually only have to enter your billing ZIP code as verification which is much safer than putting in your PIN.

5. Keep an eye on your accounts

If you suspect that you might have had your card skimmed. Keep an eye on your account balance and report any suspicious activity immediately.