Photo used under a Creative Commons License courtesy Leon Brocard.
Jim Schriever over at Central Patrol has a timely warning for all of us.
He says as we start to do our holiday shopping, criminals are beginning their shopping as well.
That can mean looking into vehicles to see if valuable items have been left for their easy pickings. They’re also “shopping” curbside recycling bins to see who might have new electronics or other presents for them, or snatching online deliveries before the rightful owner knows they’ve arrived.
And some, he says, are cruising neighborhoods looking in windows for shiny new big screen tvs.
“This curbside “shopping” take the guesswork out of breaking in as you have just told the world about that new electronic device inside. Look at it as you have just posted a large neon sign to attract and tempt that criminal element,” he writes.
What can you do?
Schriever suggests using neighborhood recycling centers to drop off packaging for electronics or items of value and have a plan on where to mount that TV so it cannot be viewed from the street. Also use blinds and curtains to restrict the view from the street.
He also says folks need to be more careful with online purchases, as criminals are finding it easier to snatch them off of porches and doorsteps. He recommends always getting a tracking number for an online purchase, and arranging to get the package inside as soon as it arrives.
Who’s talking