Lex Park COPs: Shop Safe for the Holidays

With money in hand during this most giving of seasons, the opportunity for crime increases.

It takes three elements for a crime to succeed: desire, ability, and opportunity. You can substantially reduce a criminal’s opportunity to make you a victim. The Lexington Park COPs Unit recently offered some practical advice for reducing burglary to your vehicle, a particularly popular crime during the holiday, gift-buying season.

Lock your car and take the keys.

This means every time you leave your car. This includes “brief errands.” Lock your car when you run into the post office to pick up your holiday greeting mail, when you stop at the grocery to pick up just the couple of things you forgot, when you run in to pick up a present waiting for you at the counter. Lock your vehicle.

And this especially means if you’re going to walk up to an ATM. Be especially cautious around ATMs, emphasizes the PowerPoint the COPs presented Lexington Park business owners, workers, and neighbors at last month’s community meeting at Bay District Volunteer Fire Department in Lexington Park, Maryland.

It’s tempting when shopping to toss the packages in the back and move on to the next stop. Instead, lock packages out of sight. Lock your vehicle. It bears repeating, says Sgt. Cara Grumbles, supervisor of the COPs unit headquartered on Great Mills Road in Lexington Park.

In general, for burglary and personal safety, keep all valuables and all loose change out of sight. Park your vehicle in well lit areas at night. Keep your car keys separate from your house keys and don’t keep anything with your address on it in your vehicle.

Park in well lit and well traveled areas. Look for suspicious people or circumstances. If you’re in doubt, don’t leave your car, drive away and park somewhere else. This also bears repeating:

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING

If you see anyone acting suspicious and/or looking in car windows call 911 or 301-475-8008. Use the numbers, the officers encourage citizens. If you think you should call, if you feel something isn’t right, call, Sheriff Tim Cameron told the community meeting. Believe your feelings, he said.

You have the ability to reduce the opportunity for a crime that could victimize you or your property. Walk confidently. And walk in a crowd. Be alert around banks, stores, and other retail outlets.

Avoid shortcuts. Walk with someone. Stay near people. Keep purses and briefcases closed. Don’t overburden yourself with shopping bags or other items. Be aware of your appearance. Are you wearing clothing that could make it difficult to run or protect yourself or that would be easy to be grabbed? Don’t walk with headphones playing music.

If someone is following you on foot, cross the street, change direction, vary your pace. Go to a lighted store or a neighbor’s house, somewhere with other people. If someone is in a car, walk in the opposite direction, go up a one-way street. Go somewhere safe.

In either case, turn around and look at the person, keep looking back, let them know you won’t be taken by surprise. Keep your cell phone charged. Use it.

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING. Call 911 or 301-475-8008

Make it a safe and happy holiday.