The holiday season is often a joyous time of giving, sharing, and spending time with family and friends. Unfortunately, at this time of the year, criminals may be doing their own style of holiday shopping. The San Gabriel Police Department encourages each of our community members to be cautious during the holiday season. Always be aware of your surroundings and report suspicious activity to law enforcement. By following these basic safety tips, you can decrease the chance of being a victim.

While Shopping

• Do not leave packages or valuables on the seat of your car; lock it in the trunk or put it out of sight.

• Avoid carrying large sums of cash and carry only the debit or credit card that you will need for purchases.

• Never leave any valuables within plain view inside your vehicle.

• We recommend meeting at a public location, like a cafe or shopping mall when making online purchases from websites, such as Craigslist, OfferUp, Facebook groups, classified ads, and other sources. For high-value items, consider meeting at a police station or an official “Community MeetUp Spot”.

• Shop with a friend; there is always safety in numbers.

• Park in a highly visible area with good lighting.

While at Home

• Verify all access points are locked when leaving your residence.

• Maintain and develop relationships with trusted neighbors to watch out for each other when away from your residence.

• Make sure your residence gives the appearance of being occupied by using various automatic timers for lights and/or electronics. If you go out for the evening, turn on lights and a radio/television so the residence appears and sounds occupied.

• If you’re going out of town, stop your mail and newspaper deliveries, or have a trusted neighbor collect them for you. Request a vacation watch of your residence from the San Gabriel Police Department.

• Burglars know to look for hidden door keys; please don’t hide spare keys under rocks, in flowerpots, or above door ledges. Instead, give the spare key to someone you trust.

• Please keep all valuables in your residence out of plain view. Close your blinds or drapes if leaving your residence.

The San Gabriel Police Department would like everyone to follow one final tip: DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE! We want to make sure that our community members do not lose a loved one during the holidays. It is our mission to protect the citizens that we serve and we NEED our community to be the eyes and ears of the police department. When you see suspicious activity, please contact the San Gabriel Police Department at (626) 308-2828.