kupchurch@heraldsun.com; 419-6612
DURHAM -- It's like Santa Claus in reverse: People stealing gifts meant for others.
But a little extra care might prevent that, according to a Durham Police Department crime prevention officer.
"Everybody is susceptible to different types of crimes," Steve Hall said. "But especially during the holidays, everybody's not thinking about crime prevention. They may be thinking about parties and gifts and going here and there."
Many shoppers leave the mall with presents in their arms, deposit them in their car, then return to the mall for some more shopping, he said.
"Then, somebody may break into your car and get your gifts out," he said. Instead, he suggests locking them in the trunk.
Hall said GPS units are also being stolen out of cars, and not just at malls.
"People are leaving them in plain view," he said. "And people are breaking into their cars and stealing them."
He recommends hiding the units in the trunk or taking them with you. "They're fairly easy to remove," he said.
To help prevent those thefts, police have been visiting malls and leaving a message on the cars of those who have left property in plain view for thieves, reminding them to be more careful.
"We've seen everything from purses to camcorders to GPS systems," he said. "Doors unlocked. Stuff on the back seat."
Hall said he's heard of cases in other parts of the nation where thieves have stolen GPS units when the owner hasn't locked it with a Personal Identification Number (PIN).
"So the thief is able to plug it up and hit 'go home' and it can return the thief back to your house. That means they've broken into your car. You're at the mall. You come out and see the car has been broken into and call the police to make a report. Meanwhile, the person is using your GPS system to get back to your home and break in there."
Police Capt. Larry Smith said thefts of GPS units have been particularly bad around the North Pointe Shopping Center area, where thieves have been busting out car windows and grabbing the units from dashboards.
Another crime reported this time of year is people running their car on a cold morning while they get ready for work.
"Then they come back, and their car's gone," he said.
For more holiday crime prevention tips, visit www.durhampolice.com and click on Holiday Safety Tips.
