ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
The holiday shopping season is officially under way and as people run out and about for those Christmas gifts, the Liberal Police Department would like to remind people to take some precautions to stay safe.
“Christmastime comes, which means all the trappings come along with it – trees, lights, presents, etc., so we'll want to be around the neighborhood areas more because there are people who will be tempted to steal other people's gifts,” LPD Capt. Jeff Wade said. “We advise people keep a lookout for anything out of the ordinary and just be more aware of everything. We'll also be around the shopping area parking lot areas more because there will be more cars around, and there's a higher chance of potential thieves being tempted to steal stuff out of shoppers' cars, which we obviously don't want to have happen. I expect we'll also respond to more accidents than typical, because people do get in a hurry, or they're stressed, so they try to rush to wherever they're trying to go and ultimately end up in a fender bender or worse. With that in mind, I would advise people to be patient and take a little extra time than usual so you're not running around and rushing to where you need to be. And this goes for any time of the year, but be kind to others and treat them like you'd want to be treated – don't be rude, and don't get into fights with someone over something that's ultimately rather insignificant.”
Wade added the community should expect to see some law enforcement presence around the city’s shopping areas.
“It'll be mostly normal patrols around the bigger shopping areas. We're very reactive to situations, and we're always ready to respond and help, whether it's with traffic control or a legitimate emergency situation,” Wade said. “We will have a focus on those areas, but not a big focus, and that's because we don't have the manpower to have 24/7 patrols in those areas or anything like that. So that'll be about the same, and we'll be ready to react and respond to anything we get called to.”
Wade also said shoppers need to take precautions during and after their shopping.
“It's getting dark earlier, as everyone should have noticed by now, so the main thing is to be careful and more observant than you might usually be. As you're walking to your vehicle, make sure you're also watching everyone else around you so everyone stays safe – I actually just had a recent incident with my own little boy where he wanted to dart off into the parking lot, and there was a car coming, so I had to grab him really quick and pull him to safety,” Wade said. “I would recommend to parents to hold on to their little ones, because they get excited about everything, but teach them to stay by you at all times. Also, watch everyone around your car and if you see something suspicious, give us a call and let us know, because it could be an attempted burglar. The main thing is slow down a bit and make sure you're being extra observant of your surroundings, because that can make all the difference. After you get everything you need at whichever store you just visited, if you have a trunk on your vehicle, store everything in there, because you don't want to advertise everything you just bought by shoving it all in your backseat. Either use your trunk or find another way to hide your purchases. And as much of a pain as it might be, if you have to make a stop at home between your store stops, we also recommend doing that so there's no temptation for any potential thieves. The past few years, we haven't really had a lot of car break-ins, but they have happened, so we also recommend keeping your doors locked and if you have a garage, park your car in there.”
With many presents also being ordered, Wade said people should also take precautions against potential porch pirates.
“If there are gifts you ordered, if you can get them delivered to your place of business, that's the best thing to do so it's not on your porch and a potential victim of porch pirates,” Wade said. “Or, if that's not possible, have a trusted friend or neighbor or someone pick it up and keep it for you until you're able to get home and actually get it in the house safe and sound. We haven't really had too much of a problem with porch pirates, and we hope to see that continues for this time around.”
Like with any other situation, Wade said just a few basic precautions will make all the difference.
“Have good locks on your home, and like I say every year, don't advertise what you just bought. Don't leave anything out in the open and as a temptation for potential thieves. Make sure your doors and windows are locked tight and if you have a good security system, have it active when you're not home,” Wade said. “If you have your Christmas tree up, I would recommend actually having a closet or somewhere else secret to store your presents – I know everyone likes the look of all the Christmas presents wrapped up under the tree, but that can be a temptation for potential thieves, so if you have somewhere in your home where you can store your Christmas stuff out of sight and out of mind, that would be the best. If you get a particularly nice gift, like a TV or gaming system or something like that, break the box down and get it to the recycling center as soon as possible. Or, if you know it's going to be a few days, find somewhere in your home to keep those boxes until you CAN get to that. And if you have a particularly big box delivered, the same advice applies, plus removing your address off of the box, because some lookilu could find it and be tempted to take whatever was in that box. The main goal is to keep as low a profile as possible with gifts like that, and if people will just take a few basic precautions, they'll be just fine.”
Overall, Wade said, he and the rest of the LPD hope everyone has a good holiday.
“We want to wish everyone a happy holiday season. We know it can be a stressful time, so please show some grace and patience toward your fellow shoppers,” Wade said. “If everyone does that, everyone should have a good holiday.”
