We gathered up police departments across the country Christmas shopping safety tips to prepare you for the Holiday season.
Criminals love Christmas. It’s a pretty lucrative season for them. While we’re enjoying the most wonderful time of the year, they’re busy looking for easy marks to target.
Let’s make sure it’s not you!
Christmas Shopping Safety Tips
1. Don’t shop alone at night.
It’s best to have someone with you when you’re shopping in the evening.
If you must shop alone at night, park as close to the store as you can, and park in a well-lit area.
2. Put the packages in the trunk of the car.
Leaving your bags and packages in your car rather than your trunk is a mistake the bad guys hope you make.
It’s sort of like hanging a sign on your car that reads, “Please break the glass and help yourself.”
3. Take your car keys out of your purse before you leave the store.
People who want to rob you or do you harm need you to be distracted so that you can’t see them coming.
They target women who are distracted by digging around in their purse for their keys.
4. Don’t text when you’re walking to and from your car.
In the same way that hunting for your keys takes your eyes off your surroundings, texting is a signal that you’re an easy mark.
5. Try not to use the ATM.
ATMs are to criminals what candy shops are to kids. In most cases, it’s easy for them to walk up to you or to your car and force you to hand over your money.
If you absolutely must have cash, go to the drive-thru teller at your bank.
This is a safety tip from the Windham, NH Police Dept found HERE
6. Never leave your purse in the front of a cart.
You may think you’ll know if someone is bothering your purse, but you won’t. There are plenty of bad guys who are masters at either grabbing your entire purse or sneaking their hand in to get your wallet.
Zip up or close your purse and then put the child seatbelt through the straps. Thieves don’t want to deal with someone who makes it hard for them to steal something. They’ll move on.
7. No wearing expensive jewelry when you’re shopping.
For obvious reasons, leave it at home.
8. Try not to carry lots of cash.
Every time you check out at a store, there is the potential for a bad guy to notice cash in your wallet.
If you can avoid using cash, it’s probably a good idea.
9. Lock your car doors as soon as you’re inside.
The very first thing you should do when you get in is to lock the doors. Don’t put your seatbelt on or start your engine until you’ve hit the lock button.
Those are the best tips I’ve learned from police officers to stay safe Christmas shopping.
Please be careful when you’re out having fun Christmas shopping. How do you stay safe when you’re Christmas shopping? Any tips I’ve left out?
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