It’s a holiday irony in the truest Charles Dickens sense: While the Christmas season is full of caring and giving, it’s also a time when criminals are out in force to prey on the unwary public.
“We all become complacent in our day-to-day activity,” Paul Barker, a detective with the Mount Airy Police Department, said of people’s tendency to let their guards down at times — which can be intensified by the spirit of the season.
“There’s always going to be people that take advantage of the situation,” Barker added of such lapses. This often increases at Christmastime due to the heavier volume of people being out and about — a fertile ground for wrongdoers.
In an effort to protect the public from crimes that tend to accompany the holiday shopping season, city police are suggesting various precautions aimed at keeping shoppers from becoming victims.
These target crimes in which packages or other property are stolen from vehicles, strong-armed robberies in areas such as shopping center parking lots, and in-store incidents such as purses or cell phones being taken while shoppers are distracted.
All of these are common sense things that everyone knows, police officials say, but which are always good to be reminded of, especially during the rush of the holiday shopping season.
In addition to urging shoppers to be more vigilant of their actions and surroundings, the Mount Airy Police Department is increasing patrols by marked and unmarked vehicles during the Christmas season.
Its intent is to get the word out to would-be thieves that “Santa isn’t the only one who is watching.”
Vehicle security
One of the simplest things someone can do is making sure to keep his or her vehicle locked at all times.
Placing one’s purchases in the trunk hides those valuables from sight if thieves walk by cars while the owners are at their next shopping locations.
“It only takes a minute for you to go inside (a store) and somebody to get inside your car and steal all your valuables,” Barker said.
He added that police will question persons who are arrested for vehicle break-ins to gain insight as to their methods, and one is going for the easy targets in parking lots.
“They will go through and check multiple cars, and if yours is locked, they move on to the next car,” Barker said, relaying accounts from those arrested. Police incident reports show that vehicle entries almost always involve ones that are left unsecured.
Plus, Barker said, with so folks many out during the holiday season, thieves don’t want to cause unnecessary noise or otherwise draw attention to themselves by breaking a window for a forcible entry.
Barker also indicated that the caring aspect of the Christmas season should extend to watching out for one’s fellow man, including reporting to the police any suspicious activity in areas such as parking lots. Getting bits of information including a description of a suspect vehicle or its license tag number can go a long way in bringing a perpetrator to justice, the city detective said.
“It can mean all the difference in the world in finding out who has done something like this,” Barker said in encouraging shoppers to look out for others in addition to safeguarding themselves.
Personal safety
Police precautions to discourage strong-arm robberies of shoppers include:
• Parking in well-lit areas when going into malls and retail stores.
• Remembering the location of the parking space to reduce one’s time in a lot.
• Having keys in hand when walking to the vehicle to allow quick entry.
• Walking confidently through parking lots, and stores or malls, being aware of one’s surroundings at all times.
In-store crimes
Being inside a well-lit, crowded store also is not necessarily a safe haven, warn police, who recommend these steps:
• Do not leave purses, cell phones or other personal items unattended in shopping carts. Most victims tell law enforcement, “I only looked/stepped away for a moment and it was gone.”
• Be aware of thieves working in pairs. One will distract a victim by talking to that person or asking him or her a question while the other thief steals the person’s property.
• Avoid shopping alone if possible. Thieves likely will target individuals before couples or groups.
Charities, online purchases
When donating to charities, police say citizens should make an effort to know what the charities support before handing over their money.
They strongly caution against shoppers giving money to anyone who walks up to them in a parking lot. This type of activity is normally not legitimate.
Shopping only with trusted Internet merchants can prevent one from becoming a victim of cyber-crimes, law enforcement authorities remind.
Tom Joyce may be reached at 336-415-4693 or on Twitter @Me_Reporter.
In a warm holiday gesture, Cora Gibson greets Salvation Army bell ringer Sam Chamberlain outside Walmart Wednesday, but Mount Airy police say the Christmas season unfortunately also is a time criminal elements seek to exploit to their advantage.
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In a warm holiday gesture, Cora Gibson greets Salvation Army bell ringer Sam Chamberlain outside Walmart Wednesday, but Mount Airy police say the Christmas season unfortunately also is a time criminal elements seek to exploit to their advantage.
By Tom Joyce
tjoyce@civitasmedia.com