Decatur Police Issue Holiday Safety Reminders

(Photo: Front, Sgt. Parks & Sgt. Bellis; Back, Ofc. Santiago, Ofc. Kersey & Lt. Jackson)

While Out & About:

• Be alert, aware and trust your instincts. If a situation does not feel right, pull to another part of a parking lot or walk back into a store.
• Beware of “looking” unaware by talking/texting on your phone, digging in bags or sitting parked in your vehicle after arriving or before leaving. Predators are looking for targets that seem to not be paying attention.
• Park in well-lit, populated areas.
• Place packages and bags out of view in your vehicle, either in the trunk or under a cargo shade.
• If you return to your vehicle to unload items with the intent to return shopping, move your vehicle.

Package Theft:

• Have packages shipped to your office or work location or to the home of a friend or relative who is home during the day.
• Request that a signature be required to deliver the package.
• Use the services offered by various shipping companies that allow for tracking and rerouting packages.
• Track packages and ask a trusted neighbor to look out and take the packages in when they arrive.
• When traveling, make sure to ask a family member, friend or neighbor to check for packages at your home. You may have received a gift delivery you were not expecting.
• If you observe people you do not recognize on a neighbor’s property, pay attention and if it appears they are removing packages, call police immediately and provide a detailed description of the person and direction of travel and description of a vehicle if present.

While At Home:

• Secure your home! Make sure doors and windows are locked even when you are only taking a short walk, going to dinner or inside your home.
• If you have a burglar alarm, use it every time you leave and when your family is in for the evening.
• Acknowledge knocks on your door that you are not expecting by speaking through the door or a window. It is a common tactic for burglars to knock to confirm nobody is home before they break-in.
• If you are headed out of town, ask a neighbor to park one of their cars in your driveway and submit an “Out of Town House Check” through the SeeClickFix App http://www.decaturga.com/residents/make-a-request or by calling the police department non-emergency number at 404/373-6551.