If you're hoping to get an early start on your shopping today, remember
to
keep a close eye on your pocketbook -- or it might be payday for someone
else.
"(During the holiday season) there's a tendency for increased crime,"
said Stanley Still, Town of Poughkeepsie Police Chief. "We have larcenies
of
vehicles; we have an increase in the chances of robbery due to people
carrying
extra money or credit cards; we have an increase in shoplifting, of
course."
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is the busiest shopping day of
the year and the beginning of the holiday gift-buying rush. As stores extend
their hours and consumers search for the perfect gifts, police say crime
rates
have the potential to increase. There are several factors, according to
Still.
"There is (greater) opportunity for criminals to prey on victims," he
said. "Victims will have money for shopping; items will be available to be
stolen from vehicles; there will be more crowded situations in the malls.
Crowded situations allow criminals to operate better; they can blend in more
easily and flee more easily after the crime."
"Added to this is daylight savings time and (the fact that) it gets dark
so early," continued Still. "Darkness is a tool of the criminal; when it
gets dark around 4:30 or 5 in the afternoon, they can operate more smoothly
in
dark parking lot situations."
To avoid becoming a holiday crime victim, Still, Rich Henebery, head of
security at the Poughkeepsie Galleria, and Josephine Dayger, manager and
marketing director of the Poughkeepsie Plaza, offer some tips:
- Be aware of where you park; note the entrance that you use to go into the
mall.
- Always park in a well-lighted area. Keep in mind that if you get to the
mall in the late afternoon it might be dark when you leave.
- Never leave your purchases in plain sight inside your vehicle; put them
in
your trunk or hide them from outside view.
- Ask for an escort from the security station if you feel unsafe returning
to
your car alone.
- Look around as you walk to your car; make certain there's no one
following
you.
- Carry your key in your hand and immediately lock the doors once inside
your
car.
- Don't hold your purse or pocketbook visibly; keep it hidden under your
coat.
Still, Henebery and Dayger all seem to agree that prevention is the best
policy; if you're aware of the threat that crime poses against you and your
property, then you can better prepare yourself to avoid it.
Most malls are staffed by full-time security guards who are there to
protect consumers and retailers. Each of the pay phones in the Galleria, for
example, is equipped to dial security directly, according to Henebery, by
pressing star-22.
