Up to ten million people become victims of identity theft each year according to the Federal Trade Commission. Identity theft occurs when someone uses your name, social security number, credit card account or other personal information to commit a crime. In an effort to help you take the first steps toward protecting your identity, Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana is again partnering with Shred-it to hold a Community Shred Day on Saturday, April 24th, 2010.

The first step in deterring identity thieves is to protect your personal information. Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana realizes how important it is to properly dispose of those personal and business records you no longer need and how time consuming that process may be. Many people and small businesses have stored documents for years because they do not have the time or resources to properly dispose of them. On April 24th, 2010 for a tax deductible donation of $5 per banker box, you can watch as your documents are instantly destroyed by one of the giant Shred-It high speed cross cutting machines. This is the same process many of the largest businesses in Indiana use every day to safely dispose of their important records. All proceeds will be donated to the Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana reward fund which is used to solve serious felony crimes throughout the Central Indiana community.

New this year: Crime Stoppers Pharma Trash Disposal. The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse revealed that millions of teenagers and young adults abuse prescription medications. Young people typically obtain prescription medications from peers, friends or family members because they are easily accessible and inexpensive. The use of prescription medications without a valid prescription is illegal and dangerous. Local law enforcement will be on site to collect the prescription medications you no longer need and dispose of them in a manner that is environmentally safe. According to the American Board of Family Medicine, 54% of consumers dispose their medications through the trash and 35% flush them down the toilet where they may contaminate our waterways. You can take advantage of this opportunity to begin protecting your identity by bringing your old documents to one following of the Community Shred Day events on April 24th, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Boone County Sheriff’s Office

Municipal Building

401 South Meridian Street, Lebanon

Hosted by the Boone County Sheriff’s Department

For more information call Crime Stoppers of Central at 317-481-5155 or visit www.crimetips.org.

About Crime Stoppers

Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana is a not-for-profit organization serving the two million citizens living in sixteen Central Indiana counties. Our mission is to provide a safe way for citizens to anonymously report information about crime and criminals in our communities. Since 1985 Crime Stoppers has received over 21,000 anonymous tips and no caller has ever been identified by Crime Stoppers. Those tips helped law enforcement make nearly 3,700 felony arrests, recover $4.5 million in illegal drugs and stolen property, and solve hundreds of serious crimes including 150 homicides, 280 robberies, 30 rapes, 150 burglaries, and 400 narcotics cases. Additionally, Crime Stoppers has paid $700,000 in rewards for tips leading to felony arrests in Central Indiana. The funds for those rewards come from donations made by area businesses and individuals supporting Crime Stoppers mission. No tax dollars are used to pay rewards! Please visit www.CrimeTips.org for more information.

About Shred-it Shred-it, a Securit® Company, is the world’s leading on site document destruction company with over 140 branches operating in 16 countries. Shred-it trucks are equipped with custom-built shredders that can efficiently destroy everything from confidential paper documents to CDs. Founded in 1988, Shred-it currently services over 150,000 global, national and local businesses and organizations worldwide. Visit www.shredit.com for more information.