Holiday Safety
Holiday Safety
By Ron Mullins and Thom Bolsch
Happy Holidays
We are in the last month of the year. The holidays are here, and so is the criminal element that wants to ruin your season.
Some of you have completed your holiday shopping, some only have a few items to finish up your gift giving and some of you haven’t even started!
So, let’s start with holiday shopping safety.
· Whether it’s the mall, a retail center of just a single store; park your car in an illuminated area. Put all personal items in the trunk before you park.
· While shopping, do not leave personal items unattended. Keep the kids close. And ladies, keep your purse strapped to you over the neck and across the body.
· When your shopping is complete, put your phone in your pocket, your keys in your hand and keep your head up looking for suspicious activity as you swiftly walk to your vehicle. Unlock, enter, start the car and drive away. You can organize your stuff when in a secure location.
We’ll now move to home safety.
· Lock your doors and windows, even if you are home. Set the alarm if away and once you are in for the evening.
· Do NOT leave wrapped gifts in the window which can be seen from the street. It’s just too tempting for a criminal. They usually won’t try to take what they can’t see.
· Security lights are very beneficial. Motion sensing lights can deter someone lurking around in the dark when the light shines on them.
It’s travel season. If you are heading out for the holidays; consider a few precautions.
· Lock up the house and turn on the alarm. Put a hold on the paper and stop mail delivery.
· Set up security watch with the Sheriff, Constable or local security monitoring to have a watchful eye on your place while gone.
· If you have home automation, program the lights to imply someone is home. If not, set up a couple of lights on a timer to make it appear someone is home.
· Let a trusted neighbor know you’ll be away and if you are expecting any activity while away (children, housekeeping, maintenance, etc.), and to collect anything that is discovered in the front yard while away.
· While traveling; be aware of others. Keep an eye on your stuff. Don’t let someone distract you. And travel in a group if you can.
The holiday season is a wonderful time to renew friendships, see family and enjoy the company of loved ones. With a little bit of planning, the holidays will be all that and more – crime free.
And if Santa is bringing you or someone else in your family a firearm; have Santa include an extra gift of a private lesson with an instructor for the entire family at Saddle River Range. If there is a gun in the house EVERYONE needs to know how to act safely around a gun.
Stay Aware, Stay Safe,
© Copyright 2024 Ron Mullins and Thom Bolsch
All rights reserved
