C.R.E.D.I.T. Program

The Pasadena Police Department has begun a new innovative program combining the use of citizen volunteers and Detectives from the Financial Crime Unit. This new program is called  “Community Response to Eradicate and Deter Identity Theft” or “C.R.E.D.I.T.” This is a first of its kind program designed to meet local area community needs regarding Identity Theft.  The large volume of cases received makes it difficult to give each victim personalized attention during this difficult and traumatic time.

 These volunteers will greatly assist the Financial Crime Unit Detectives by contacting every identity theft victim by telephone, adding a “personal touch” to the process. Through this process, the volunteers will act as a point of contact at the police department by providing a caring ear. They will assist each victim on the step-by-step procedure of dealing with Identity Theft. The volunteers will instruct each victim on how to obtain their credit reports, how to place a fraud alert on their name and other vital steps that will aid in their financial recovery. The detectives from the Financial Crime Unit will train each volunteer, providing them with the knowledge and available resources to better assist them in this process.

This partnership teaming up detectives and citizen volunteers will allow the detective to concentrate less on administrative duties and more on the investigative function of their job where their time is better spent.  The citizen volunteer will be providing an invaluable service to the community in a program that could not otherwise be successful if it were not for their answer to the call of one of the best American ideals, volunteerism.

  The C.R.E.D.I.T. program will ultimately lead to the identification and prosecution of more identity thieves and subsequently will aid in the fight to stem the rising tide of the fastest growing crime of the 21^st Century, Identity Theft.

 If you are a Pasadena Police Citizen Police Academy Graduate and are interested in volunteering for the C.R.E.D.I.T. Program, please call the Program Facilitator, Liz Diott at 626-744-7484 for more information.