For many the holidays are a time of peace, goodwill and gift
giving. For others it’s the perfect time for theft, shoplifting and
burglary.
During the holidays, theft increases 13 percent overall, said
Hollister Police Officer David Blair.
And a 7-percent increase occurs in thefts out of vehicles, Blair
said.
For many the holidays are a time of peace, goodwill and gift giving. For others it’s the perfect time for theft, shoplifting and burglary.
During the holidays, theft increases 13 percent overall, said Hollister Police Officer David Blair.
And a 7-percent increase occurs in thefts out of vehicles, Blair said.
With the rampant holiday shopping, cars laden with merchandise are prime targets for thieves. Make sure to lock your car and keep packages in the back seat or trunk, Blair said.
“If you’re shopping in the evening, park in a well-lit area, not in the dark,” he said.
With increased store traffic and more items in stock on the floor, shoplifting also escalates.
Most of the items shoplifted during the holidays are display items, Blair said.
“You have to be vigilant in keeping an eye on customers,” he said. “If shops have display items, make sure they’re close to the front door.”
The larger chain stores have a lot of security to watch for shoplifters, but smaller downtown businesses have to be extra careful.
“Don’t put anything past the cash register,” Blair said.
If a store employee does witness something being stolen, don’t try to stop the person yourself, Blair said. Call the police.
“99.9 percent of the time it’s kids and you’re not going to have a problem, but that one time you (do) it’s not worth it,” he said. “It really wrecks the holidays.”
A small increase stems from property being stolen out of homes or Christmas decorations outside, Blair said. There have been cases where people steal Christmas decorations and then turn around and sell them for profit, he said.
“It’s amazing that people actually steal them,” he said. To help deter thieves, put decorations as close to the front door as possible.
To ensure that children don’t get lost in the sea of Christmas shoppers, parents should keep track of them at all times. If you have a large family, don’t take all of the children shopping at once, Blair said.
“There’s a lot of flashy things they want to run off and see,” he said.
On the positive side, kidnapping isn’t a crime that increases with the holidays.
“We haven’t really had a problem with that in Hollister,” he said, “whether it be the holiday season or not.”
