Union-Bulletin

Law enforcement officials often notice an increase in crime during the holidays.

They offer the following tips to make the Christmas season safer.

At home

• Be extra cautious about locking doors when you leave home, even for a few minutes.
• If you go out in the evening, turn on lights and radios or televisions so the house appears and sounds occupied.
• Don't display gifts where they can be seen from a window or doorway. Store gifts before you go on a holiday trip.
• Check to ensure electronics and appliances are marked with your driver's license number and your state's initials.
• Be wary of strangers coming to your door asking for donations.
• Beware of package deliverers who have the "wrong" address.

At work

• Lock any gifts bought during lunch hour in a safe place.
• Keep your purse or wallet with you at all times or locked in a drawer or closet.
• If you see unauthorized people in areas where they shouldn't be, call company security immediately.
• Offer to help a co-worker who is a victim of a crime.
• Give a ride home to a co-worker who drank too much at a company Christmas party.

While shopping

• Shop before dark and with a friend, if possible.
• Never park in an unlit lot.
• Lock packages in the trunk.
• Have keys in hand when returning to your car, and check the interior before entering.
• Pay with a check or credit card; don't carry large amounts of cash.
• Hold onto your purse or wallet. Don't leave it in a cart for even a minute.