Police: Don't Advertise To Thieves After Christmas

Don't give your neighborhood bad guys a shopping list. That's the advice coming from several law enforcement agencies now that Christmas is over and many of us are tossing out the trash that piled up as a result.

"We want to remind everyone not to advertise to thieves what Santa brings to your house this year," the Hiram Police Department said in a Facebook post. "Nothing says PLEASE COME BREAK INTO MY HOUSE like a bunch of boxes from big ticket items on the curb."

Instead, the post says, break down boxes first and place them inside your trash can, so they're not so obvious.

In south Fulton County, the Fairburn Police Department gave similar advice, urging residents to consider taking big-ticket boxes to be recycled instead of leaving them out.

Consumer safety website Consumerist encourages folks to cut up boxes with easily identifiable labels, turn them inside out or make sure they're concealed inside a recycling bin.

"If you want to keep your new pricey electronics and nice clothing, it’s not a good idea to tip off any would-be thieves of what’s hiding in your home by advertising it with empty boxes," the site says.

Photo courtesy City of Hiram Police Department