Wilmington police offers holiday safety tips for shoppers and homeowners

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The holiday season is in full swing and that means police officers have their hands full patrolling popular shopping center.

In a recent Cops on Mic epsiode, Capt. Ben Kennedy with the Wilmington Police Department talks about what officers are doing to keep you safe and how you can protect yourself over the coming weeks.

He says WPD sees an uptick in crimes like shoplifting, robberies, home and car break-ins, scams, and more this time of the year.

Capt. Kennedy says they put officers specifically at popular shopping areas and at places known for those type of crimes.

If you plan on traveling over the holidays, he suggests the following tips:

• Add automatic lights to your home
• Ask neighbors to keep an eye on your house
• Put mail or newspapers on hold
• Make it look like someone is home (Turn on TV/Radio)
• Don’t display gifts where people can see
• Always stay alert
• If you must shop at night, park in a well-lighted area
• Don’t leave important items in your car (Put in truck if neccessary)
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash
• Keep purse near you or put wallet in front pocket
• Make sure you have keys in your hand before going to car

Capt. Kennedy says watch out for scammers. Don’t fall for someone who may come to your house and ask for money. If the person looks suspicious, ask for identification or call 911.

On Christmas Day, he says don’t put boxes from gifts you get outside of your house.

“Once people see these, they have an idea of what’s in your house,” he said.

He adds it’s important to know what is in your house. Keep a list of all the items including serial numbers in case some were to every break in.

Data collected by the National Insurance Crime Bureau found there were more than 1,900 reported stolen vehicles on Christmas Eve last year, and nearly 1,500 more the next day. The holiday with the highest number of reports – New Year’s Day, with more than 2,500 incidents.

Read more holiday safety tips here.