Staying safe this Christmas season

Crime always rises during this time of year, so you must maximize your common sense and always be on your guard. Be it your home or your car, always keep your windows secured and your doors locked, and never open your door to a stranger. Be alert to suspicious people and/or sounds in your neighborhood and call the Sheriff’s Department at (760) 728-1113 to report suspicious activity.

The main thing above all else is to pay attention to your surroundings. We all know not to leave purses, purchases, etc. in plain view inside of our cars, but the same can be said of presents under the tree. Everyone likes to see a pretty Christmas tree in the window and we like to put our trees there for others to enjoy. However, a visible tree with presents is also an unwitting invitation for a thief to come calling. The thief may not visit you right away but may wait until even after Christmas has passed, then check out all of those boxes you are throwing away in the trash and decide to visit you. (Cut up those boxes and put those into sealed trash bags when putting them out for trash pick-up). Have your driver’s license number engraved on those new presents as soon as possible.

At the store, carry your purse close to your body and/or your wallet in your front pocket with a rubber band around it; check for them from time to time. Shop during daylight hours when possible, but if you are out at night, park in well lit areas and, while on your way from the store to your vehicle, keep looking all around for “unsavory characters.”

Before you leave the store, have your car key ready. If you suspect anyone is following you, walk past your car and return to the store. Most stores will gladly have an employee escort you to your vehicle if you feel uncomfortable. As you approach your car, look under it and in the front and back seats. Get your purchases into the car as quickly as possible, get in, lock your doors, start your engine and immediately drive to another location to let your car warm up.

In addition, don’t overload yourself so that you cannot react quickly if you need to. Return to your vehicle from time to time to give yourself a break and to reduce the load that you are carrying. Using debit or credit cards, or even traveler’s checks, is much safer than carrying a lot of cash with you. Trust your gut instincts. If something doesn’t seem right to you, take corrective action.

If you are going to be traveling, remember to leave several lamps on timers with overlapping times for activation. Also, don’t forget to leave that radio tuned to a talk show station. Your home should always appear to be occupied, whether you are out Christmas shopping or traveling to far-off destinations.

Remember, thieves are also shopping for presents. They just don’t like paying for them.