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SALT LAKE CITY - Christmas is still a couple of weeks away which means there is still plenty of time for Christmas shopping, but it also means there is still plenty of time for someone to break into your car and take those gifts while you're at another store.
Avoid carrying large amounts of cash or other valuables.
Do not leave valuables left in your car unless they are locked in the trunk.
When going shopping, try to go with family or friends, there is safety in numbers.
At Home
Lock your doors and windows if you are going out, no matter how short of a period of time you will be gone.
Traveling
Take precautions to prevent your home from looking vacant.
It's called a "crime of opportunity," which basically means if you leave something in plain sight in your car, someone might take that opportunity to steal it.
Tyler Boelter is a Salt Lake City police officer, who'd much rather stop crimes before they happen than solve them after they happen.
He's been handing out fliers with tips on how to be safe during the holiday shopping season. Boelter and other officers were in Sugar House Thursday chatting with shoppers reminding them that there are those out there who look for valuable items in cars.
"This is so much easier and so much funner," Boelter said. "To hand this stuff out than having to write, sitting in the car and write reports."
Police say it's a good idea to put valuable items and any gifts in the trunk and out of sight. So far, they've handed out hundreds of fliers in lots of popular shopping spots.
He says it's better to remind shoppers of the obvious now than remind them of the obvious later.
"Once you come out of a store and see a broken window and your stuff is gone, it's a little too late at that point and your holiday season is kind of dampened," said Boelter.
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E-mail: acabrero@ksl.com
