Police: Remain vigilant while shopping

As the holiday season begins police advise shoppers to be safe and aware of their surroundings.

"We’re getting into the holiday season and this is where we see an increase in burglaries of vehicles, homes and businesses," said police spokesman Sgt. Jimmy Manrrique. "We expect a large volume of calls. This is because there is a lot more activity in the stores. People are out buying more merchandise, spending more money and tend to be a little more careless about their items."

Today on so-called Black Friday, large numbers of shoppers are expected take advantage of an array of bargains, and police anticipate a spike in auto burglaries.

"On Black Friday there are a lot of people buying small items in large quantities, taking them back to their cars and going back to the stores and reloading for more," Manrrique said. "There are going to be opportunists out there and they will be watching out for this type of activity."

An automobile burglary can happen in seconds because the perpetrators only need to break a window and make away with valuable items, including purses, wallets and just purchased products, the spokesman said.

Last year, Brownsville police responded to eight automobile burglaries on Black Friday.

Because the items taken are usually new and buyers have not yet recorded serial numbers, recovering them is rare, Manrrique said.

"If people are vigilant and the criminals see the people guarding their items, they are going to move away and go after another target," he said.

Some of the recommendations given by police include waiting until you are finished shopping before storing products in automobiles. Police also suggest leaving an adult in the car while others shop.

If shoppers must leave items in their automobiles, they should also keep valuable items out of plain view and regularly check on their vehicles. Manrrique said people should try to park in an area where they can easily see their automobiles from inside a business.

Police also advise shoppers to use their common sense.

"Keep in mind that you are on private property," Manrrique said. "Respect owners and managers and follow their instructions. In the past there’s been incidents of property damage with people trampling over landscaping or some displays. People should also realize that they are buying a material object. Assaulting or getting into fights is not worth the problems they may face."

For those shopping with children, the National Crime Prevention Council issued a press release advising people to make a plan in case children become separated from their parents. A central meeting place should be determined before shopping begins.

The NCPC also asks shoppers to be wary of thieves by keeping their purses close to the body and wallets inside inner-coat pockets.

Because of the prevalence of cellphones with cameras, shoppers should also wait until asked before taking out their credit cards or checkbooks because "an enterprising thief would love to shoulder surf to take a picture of your account information," the release said.