A Rise in Crime Is Also a Part of Holiday Season, Police Warn

Thanksgiving marks the beginning of crowded shopping malls, twinkling trees and familiar Christmas carols. But to police, the holiday season brings a sharp rise in burglaries and shoplifting.

With store clerks busy and shelves overrun with merchandise, the shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas offer plenty of opportunities for thefts and fraud, Westminster Lt. James Waller said.

“It’s a prime time because the stores are crowded and criminals are less likely to be spotted,” said Waller, adding that some criminals use the holidays to solicit money for fake charities. “We have more scams playing on the heartstrings of people.”

Among the shoplifting tricks officials expect to see in the coming weeks is the use of babies as covers for stolen goods.

“They’ll have a baby in a stroller [and] they’ll stash the loot under the baby,” Buena Park Lt. Tom Lucenti said.

Another popular shoplifting device is the “booster girdle.” Santa Ana Officer Steve Chavez said the suspect will enter the store, wearing an elastic girdle underneath baggy clothes. The shoplifter will then stuff the stolen goods into the girdle. The shoplifter, who is usually female, will leave the store, looking as if she is pregnant.

But men too have been known to wear the girdle.

Officers recently arrested a man who tried stealing expensive ceramic figurines from the Santa Ana MainPlace mall by stuffing them into the girdle underneath his pants. “We caught him on the videotapes,” Chavez said. “It was really funny to watch.”

In response to shoplifting and car robberies during the holidays, police departments are increasing the number of officers patrolling near busy areas. They will also be on the lookout for “parking lot rage.”

“There’s been fight over parking” spaces, Chavez said. “People want to hurry up and get their shopping done.”

At the Westminster Mall, an officer has been assigned full time to the parking lot, preventing break-ins as well as altercations between shoppers.

“It’s the busiest shopping days of the year,” Westminster Capt. Larry Woessner said. “We have car thefts at the mall, robberies, and cars broken into.”

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Safer shopping

Here are some tip from police on having a safe holiday shopping experience:

DO

* Shop with friends or relatives, especially at night.

* Carry packages and purses close to your body.

* Deter pickpockets and purse snatchers--carry your wallet in front pants pocket.

* Use a fanny pack or backpack for valuables.

* When returning to your car, have your keys in hand, ready to unlock your vehicle.

DON’T

* Be overburdened. Go to your car to drop off packages now and then.

* Carry large sums of cash. Carry only the credit cards you’ll need that day.

* Make sure you get your credit card or driver’s license back after making a purchase.

* Get distracted. Parents maneuvering a stroller through a crowded mall while juggling packages and trying to keep other children under control are easy targets for thieves and child snatchers.

Source: Times reports