Beware of Thieves on the Prowl During Holidays

Thinking of joining coworkers for a holiday happy hour? Better leave the laptop at the office.

During the holiday season, it’s easy to get distracted and not be as vigilant about protecting belongings.

Restaurant parking lots—especially during happy hour—and shopping centers during the busy holiday shopping season are some of the favorite places for thieves looking for quick and easy score.

When shopping

Christmas time in the city doesn’t necessarily mean, as the song goes, that shoppers will rush directly home with their treasures. Often, they rush from store to store and then to lunch or dinner, leaving packages destined for under the tree in their back seat.

officers urge shoppers not to leave valuables or electronic devices (MP3 players, GPS units, digital cameras, mobile phones) in plain view in a vehicle. It’s best to remove them from the car but, at the very least, they should be placed in the trunk. It’s important, though, to always place items in a trunk before arriving at your destination.

Even coins can be tempting and young thieves will break a window for a few dollars, officers warn.

Here are more of her practical suggestions for holiday shopping safety:

• Tell family members or friends where you are shopping and when you will return.
• Use credit cards and checks for purchases. Save a copy of your credit card receipt.
• Carry only the credit cards that you need and a small amount of cash, if necessary.
• If you do carry a purse, never leave it unattended in your cart or turn your back on it.
• If you carry a purse, carry it in front of you and avoid letting it dangle behind you.
• While shopping, be aware of where your bags and packages are at all times.
• Park in well-lighted areas.
• When leaving malls and stores, be aware of your surroundings and of the people near you. If you do not feel safe, do not leave your vehicle.
• Avoid wearing expensive jewelry or clothing that may draw attention.

When traveling

Crooks never take a vacation. For people traveling over the holidays, here are some safety measures:

• Let a trusted neighbor know you will be gone.
• Have someone pick up the mail, or have mail held at the post office and stop the paper.
• Secure garage doors with a padlock. An automatic garage door can be made inoperable by unplugging it from the electric outlet or by using a vacation switch on the control box. Also make sure to lock the door into the house from the garage.
• Have a relative or trusted neighbor open and shut the drapes, daily if possible.
• Do not leave valuables where they can be easily seen from the windows. This includes presents under a tree. They can be enticing to a crook.
• Consider putting jewelry or negotiable instruments in a safety deposit box or taken to a relative or friend’s house for safekeeping. Crooks know all the secret spots, no matter how clever people think they are in hiding them.
• Have a neighbor park in the driveway and put out the garbage cans on pick up day.
• Do not let your travel plans be widely known; don’t post out-of-town pictures on Facebook or talk about being out of town for the holidays. This is just inviting a burglar who now knows nobody is home.
• Put lights, televisions, and radios on automatic timers.
• Do not leave outside lights on 24 hours. Install motion detector lights or dusk-till-dawn lights on the outside of your home.
• Have someone shovel in the event of snow to make your home look lived in. Piled-up snow sends a nobody’s-home message to someone looking for those signals.