Safe Holiday Shopping

After we get through the holiday meal on Thursday - many people's attention will turn to the holiday shopping season...but you should keep in mind not everyone is full of the holiday spirit.

Corporal John Simmons is the crime prevention officer for the Metro Police Southside precinct, which includes both the Savannah and Oglethorpe malls.  He has some good advice for shoppers planning to hit the stores this weekend.  The most important - pay attention to your surroundings.

"I believe people probably underestimate how crafty a criminal person might be - for instance - if they're on a cell phone, they may be divulging information about themselves or their plans or how much they've taken out of the account to do some shopping and someone could actually be listening even if they're ten or fifteen feet away”, says Simmons.  

When checking out, you should also be cautious when signing charge slips or entering pin numbers for the cashier.  Identity theft is on the rise.  But Corporal Simmons says planning for a safe shopping trip should begin even before you hit the stores.  "We used to tell people a few years back - start putting your purses in your trunk - well, the bad guys have kind of figured that out now - so we're telling people to minimize what they're taking with them when they're shopping and to take the purse with them." He says you should also avoid doing all your shopping in one day and minimize the distractions.  If taking children, try to get a friend or family member to accompany you to help.  According to Simmons, "You become a large visible target with all those packages and it's easy for someone to come up and attempt to snatch your purse - grab some of the items or distract you."

A little care should lead to a lot of happy memories this holiday shopping season.  When returning to your car, Corporal Simmons says remember to already have your keys out and in your hand before leaving the store.   He also says you should never hit a remote button to unlock your doors until you are at your car. Doing so when you are still yards away gives a criminal a chance to get there before you do.