ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Local stores will be full of holiday shoppers in the coming weeks, and for those who will be out and about, the Liberal Police Department would like to remind everyone to stay safe.
“I would highly recommend people don't leave their children in the car, especially now that it's getting extra cold, there are just too many things that could go wrong from doing that. I know the mindset when doing that is 'Oh, I'll only just be a minute,' but it ALWAYS turns out to be longer than that,” LPD Capt. Jeff Wade said. “When you buy your presents, hide them in the trunk and make it hard for potential thieves to see. We don't have very many smash-and-grabs around here, but there's no need to risk that happening. 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. It's also a good idea to remember where you park and remember to lock your car doors, and if you have to do some shopping in the evening, park close to a parking lot light so your car is as visible to you as possible when you leave the store.”
Wade added safety does not necessarily stop at the store doors.
“When you get everything home, don't post a bunch of photos or similar information on social media, because that's a really easy way for a potential burglar to find out where you live and then find a way to break in and steal your stuff,” Wade said. “We also highly recommend not posting on social media if you plan to travel and be gone for an extended period of time, because that's just inviting potential burglars to come and break in. 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 before you can do that, find somewhere in your home to keep those boxes until then. 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. And if you see something out of the ordinary around your neighbor's house, give us a call and we'll do what we can and make sure everything's how it's supposed to be.”
While porch pirates are not a major issue in the area, Wade said some precautions should also be taken in that regard.
“If you're expecting packages, have them delivered to your workplace if you're allowed that, because that's a good way to prevent theft,” Wade said. “However, if you HAVE to have your packages delivered to your home, either find a break in time when you can run home and get it in your house or ask a neighbor to take it in and hold onto it until you're able to get home. I know there's a package-tracking option these days, which is really helpful, so I highly recommend using that. We have had porch pirate incidents in the past, but around here, we've never dealt with a major rash of those situations, and I hope we won't have to deal with too many of those incidents this year. Like I say every year, don't make it easier for potential thieves by basically advertising everything you got for Christmas, and that applies to social media posts as well.”
With more people being out and about in the community, Wade said the LPD will definitely be present.
“We definitely plan on patrolling around the shopping areas and those parking lots as much as possible, and we'll be doing that not only to keep an eye on the shoppers but also to make sure drivers are slowing down a little bit as they're going through those areas,” Wade said. “Children can be hard to see, especially since they're smaller than the cars, and they can dart out at a second's notice, and no one wants that on their conscience. We also want people to take a little extra time and pay some extra attention when backing out of their parking space, no one wants to have to deal with a fender bender or any similar accident especially around this time of year. We've stepped up enforcement throughout town, especially with seatbelts, and as the season goes on, we'll also remain on the lookout for DUIs and other similar infractions because of the parties and other holiday gatherings. We want to split our time between the residential areas and the shopping areas so we can be sure we've got a presence everywhere, and we don't want to ignore any area. We're expecting extra traffic as people come in and out of town for shopping and/or gatherings, so we'll be keeping an eye on all of that so traffic flows smoothly everywhere.”
Overall, Wade said, he hopes for a safe and happy holiday season for the community.
“We appreciate all the community support we've seen with our recent events, and we're looking forward to Shop With a Cop and our other activities we'll have coming up soon,” Wade said. “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. If everyone does that, everyone should have a good holiday.”
