As law abiding citizens prepare Thanksgiving feasts and do their Christmas shopping, authorities want to remind them it’s the season for crooks, too.
The increase in shopping, mail and vacations the holiday season brings can create windows of opportunity for thieves to exploit if citizens are not vigilant, area police officials said.
For those planning to leave town for the holidays, it should not be obvious to passers-by the home is vacant, Whittier police Lt. Bill Webster said. He advised discontinuing mail and newspaper service while on vacation, as to not advertise the home is empty.
“If you trust your neighbors, let them know. They’re probably your best security system, because they know what’s out of the ordinary.”
The lieutenant added that while police always advise residents to lock their cars and keep valuables such as GPS devices out of plain view, the message is especially important in the coming months.
In West Covina, which has two shopping malls, West Covina police Sgt. Jerry Pearman advised holiday shoppers not to leave items in plain view in their cars between store visits.
“They should be secured in the trunk,” he said.
“As long as things are properly secured in your car, you should be okay.”
To help prevent holiday season crime, Pasadena police will begin fielding extra volunteers in shopping areas during weekends, Chief Phillip Sanchez said in a written statement.
“The Pasadena Police Department’s Volunteer Safe Shopping program will begin Friday,” he said, “and will occur every weekend until Christmas. Uniformed police volunteers will conduct foot patrols from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the Paseo Colorado, South Lake District, East Pasadena and Old Pasadena, handing out safety flyers and answering questions.”
Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said residents can help deter crime in their neighborhoods by doing their part to make them look, “alive.” Police advised residents to be alert, get to know their neighbors and start neighborhood watch groups and never hesitate to call the police if something suspicious is spotted.
“If we can get residents to work together in terms of being pro-active in presenting their neighborhood as one not inviting or vulnerable to crime, it will send a message that the neighbors are working together,” he said.
It’s also a good idea to cut up boxes from purchases and place them inside a trash can, not next to it, in order to avoid advertising to thieves what items you’ve just brought home, police said.
The increased amount of mail and packages being sent during the holiday season can also be targets for opportunistic thieves, officials said.
In a written statement, Arcadia police Sgt. Tom Le Veque offered tips to make sure packages end up in the hands of their intended recipients, and not a lawbreaking grinch.
“This time of year brings out those looking for a crime of opportunity as well as those thieves that actually target your delivery,” he said. “Thieves will follow or watch for the UPS, FedEx or other delivery trucks and then target a home after a delivery is made.”
Most packages sent to homes are delivered straight to the front porch, require no signature for delivery and are usually left at the recipients’ doors even if no one is home to accept them, according to the police statement.
To avoid becoming a victim of a delivery theft, Le Veque offered several tips:
*Use your workplace as the shipping address.
*Track shipments online or by phone so you know what day they’re expected to arrive.
*Ask neighbors to watch for your delivery if you’re not home and hold any packages until you return.
*Report suspicious people or vehicles in your neighborhood.
*Request a signature delivery option, if available, or request the package be held at the shipping facility to be picked up.
“If you do not receive your shipment on time, check with the company of origin and confirm the delivery,” Le Veque said. “If the item was delivered and you did not receive it, then report the theft or loss to the original company, the shipping company and your local police.”