San Leandro PD's Holiday Safety Tips

Press release from the San Leandro Police Department:

SAN LEANDRO, CA — With December already upon us, please take a moment to read these SLPD Crime Prevention Tips.

Holiday Shopping

The holiday season is a time for crimes of opportunity. Keep these tips in mind this season:
• Do not walk and text or use your phone.
It is important to watch where you are going and be aware of your surroundings.
• Don’t be distracted! Jewelry thefts are on the rise; if you are distracted; you won’t see
them coming to take your possessions.
• Don’t leave packages in plain view in your vehicle – put them in your trunk, before you get
to your location.
• If you will not be home for deliveries, have your items delivered to a neighbor who will be
home or to your office.
• Hold on to your money: Always carry your purse tucked tightly under your arm, or don’t
carry one at all. Put your money and only necessary cards in your front pants pocket where it
harder for a bad guy to get at it.
• Don’t park in secluded or dark areas of the parking lot. Be patient and courteous while parking.
• Try not to be the last to leave the store. Leave when the stores are still open and there are
plenty of other shoppers in the parking lot.
• Shopping with kids? Teach them to go to a store clerk or security guard if you get separated.
• When you get home, remember this home safety reminder: Approximately 50% of all burglars
enter the house via unlocked or open doors and/or windows. Keep all doors, including your
garage door, closed and locked. Don’t display gifts where they can be seen from outside.

Holiday Travel

• Get an automatic timer for the lights in your home.
• Ask a neighbor to watch your home and perhaps park a vehicle in your driveway.
• Have a neighbor or family member pickup newspaper and mail deliveries.

When You Are Out For The Evening

• Turn on lights and a radio or TV so it looks and sounds like somebody is home.
• Lock doors and windows even if you leave for just a few minutes.
• Don’t display gifts where they can be seen from the outside.

This press release was produced by the San Leandro Police Department. The views expressed here are the author’s own.