Avoid becoming a holiday crime victim with these tips from Plano police

Plano police have some holiday tips to help prevent you from becoming a crime victim this week and through the new year.

Opportunistic criminals are especially on the prowl this time of year, police say. It’s a prime time for criminals to break into vehicles or follow shoppers to their cars in an attempt to steal their packages and purses.

Sometimes criminals lurk in parking lots or stores, looking for people who seem distracted.

Here are some of the crime prevention tips offered by Officer Chris Bianez.

Avoid being distracted; pay attention to your surroundings.

Whenever possible, avoid shopping by yourself.

“This is a prime time that someone might come up and accost you — either to rob you or to try to abduct you,” Bianez said. “So you want to keep your head on a swivel.”

If you must go shopping alone, use “situational awareness” while in a transitional state such as leaving a store and walking toward your car, he said.

Don’t leave packages in your vehicle.

Criminals may also be waiting in parking lots to see whether people are leaving valuables or packages in their vehicles.

If possible, it is best to take purchases home and secure them, then go back out to continue shopping, Bianez said.

Also, never leave your purse in your vehicle. Criminals “just need a small window of opportunity to smash that glass and steal your purse,” Bianez said.

Purses left in a grocery cart or hanging on a restaurant chair are another prime target for thieves. The same is true of leaving your purse in an unlocked car while pumping gas.

Some thieves work in pairs and will try to engage you in a conversation or distract you as an accomplice steals your valuables, he said.

Find other options for home package deliveries.

Ideally, you should be home when any packages are delivered. If that is not possible, have a friend or neighbor accept the package on your behalf.

Packages can also be sent to Amazon lockers or UPS and FedEx stores.