Police Presence to be Heightened on Black Friday in Anne Arundel

Updated (10:45 a.m.)—This story was updated to add background on an incident from 2012's Black Friday.

A greater police presence will be evident at shopping centers around Anne Arundel on Friday, when the holiday shopping season traditionally kicks into high gear.

In 2012, a teen was assaulted and robbed at Arundel Mills during Black Friday. The teen was punched and robbed of his shopping bag, police said.

This year, the Anne Arundel County Police Department will be implementing holiday patrols starting Friday in shopping centers and malls. Bike patrols and reserve officers will help supplement this force, according to a press release.

Police released the following tips to help keep shoppers safe:

• Keep your keys in your hand when walking out to your car 
• Park your vehicle as close as possible to street lights 
• Take advantage of mall escort services to your vehicle 
• Be aware of your surroundings and report any suspicious activity as criminals may attempt to distract you in an attempt to take your money or belongings
• Avoid carrying large amounts of money and keep your wallet or money in your front pockets 
• Keep your vehicle locked at all times 
• Store all merchandise in your vehicle out of view, preferably in a secure place such as the trunk of your vehicle 
• It is also strongly encouraged to keep devices such as portable GPS units, laptop computers and MP3 listening devices out of view
• Record serial numbers off of items or take pictures of serial numbers and items in the event your belongings are lost or stolen

For those expecting packages to be delivered, police are advising residents of so-called "front-porch shoppers"—criminals who follow delivery trucks and take items from porches after they are dropped off.

If you can't be at home to pick up a package, police offer this advice:

• Arrange for a neighbor to take delivery 
• Contact your shipper and have the package rerouted to a place of trust
• Demand signature proof of delivery
• Have your Fedex and UPS packages sent directly to one of their local stores for distribution centers to be held for pickup
• Have the package delivered to your workplace
• Keep your tracking number and closely follow the progress of your package on-line
• If you see any activity that would suggest someone is following one of the delivery trucks or you see someone remove a delivered package, immediately call 911.