Theft this holiday season is not something out of the ordinary. Shoplifting happens daily all across the globe. The United States alone loses billions of dollars each year due to this crime. Authorities and the retail industry collaborate with each other to prevent or ameliorate the amount they lose due to this crime. During the holiday season, stores are busy and management and employees have less time to keep an eye on the customer, making it easier for shoplifters to get into the store and snatch something. Prevention can save you thousands of dollars; protect your store, your profits and your employees this holiday season.
Holiday theft season approaching
Every year as the holiday season approaches, thefts and other related crimes begin to trend upward, more so as the Christmas holiday looms closer.
Misdemeanor shoplifting thefts are not the only crimes that climb during the holidays. Residential and business burglaries also rise significantly.
Preventive policing by the Harker Heights Police Department helps to lessen these property crimes. Preventive measures include neighborhood and business patrols.
The Harker Heights Police Department has in the recent past positioned the city’s public safety command vehicle in the parking lot of Market Heights during the holiday shopping period, providing a police presence and rapid response for business owners and the shopping public.
Such a strategic move not only serves to provide the public with an immediate crime reporting station, but it also serves as a deterrent to criminals who would seek to victimize businesses and the shoppers they serve.
With the Christmas season just around the corner, police in Maury County are preparing for one of the most common holiday crimes: shoplifting.
So far in 2014, shoplifting incidents in Columbia have been reduced by 20 percent compared to last year, Columbia police Lt. Joey Gideon said Friday.
But, he said, shoplifting does tend to occur more often during the holiday season than during any other time of the year.
“After Black Friday, the stores start getting more crowded, and it’s easier for shoplifters to go unnoticed,” Gideon said.
Must-do identity theft protection tips for holiday shoppers
As you race hither and yon to the mall, to the grocery store or to grandma’s house while spreading holiday cheer, that jingling sound you hear is probably not sleigh bells. If you’re not careful, that might be the sound of money flying out of your pockets and into the hands of the crooks that target holiday shoppers.
Identity theft doesn’t just happen online. Crooks can pilfer your personal information right out of your wallet or cellphone unless you take some steps to be extra vigilant during the holiday shopping season.
Here are some simple, must-do measures to keep in mind over the next few months:
- Streamline your wallet. Leave anything you don’t need, such as your Social Security card (you should never carry it in your wallet), your library or wholesale club card, and excess credit cards at home. Only take the credit cards you know you will use.
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