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.