By the Jacobs Library Committee Homes jam-packed with gifts. Stores, malls, and downtown streets are filled with unsuspecting shoppers. People rushing around, stressed out and careless, looking for last-minute gifts, trying to get everything done. It's enough to make a crook giddy with holiday joy. This holiday season, don't let the spirit of giving lull you into giving burglars, muggers, and pickpockets a better chance to do their dirty work.
Crooks love the holiday as much as everyone else, but chiefly because it's an opportunity for crime.
If You're Traveling -Get an automatic timer for your lights. If You're Shopping -Stay alert and be aware of what is going on around you. Pay by check or credit card when possible. Carry a purse close to your body, not by the straps. Put a wallet in a front pants pocket or inside a coat.