Shop safe this holiday season

In a city with so many shopping options, there are plenty of places to buy presents for your loved ones. When you are out and about gathering gifts, follow these safety tips: 

• Stay alert to your surroundings. If you see people loitering in parking garages, parking lots or outside of stores, go the other way.
• Park near streetlights or ramp lighting if possible and have your keys in hand when you return to the car. Check the interior of your car before getting inside.
• Coordinate shopping trips with a friend if you plan to be out late. 
• Don’t park in unlit lots, no matter how convenient.
• Lock your car and close the windows, even if you’re gone only a few minutes. 
• Lock packages in the trunk.
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Pay for purchases with a check or credit card when possible. Be sure to put the receipt in your purse or wallet. Never leave it in the bag.
• Be extra careful with purses and wallets. Carry a purse under your arm. Keep a wallet in an inside jacket pocket, not a pants pocket.
• Teach your children to go to a store clerk or security guard and ask for help if they become separated in a store or shopping mall.

Find more crime prevention tips online at blm.mn/police.