Community Corner

Tips for Safe Holiday Shopping from St. Charles Police

Keep your season merry and avoid becoming a victim of a shopping crime.

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Ted Schnell, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge

SOURCE: St. Charles Police Department


Thanksgiving weekend marks the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. The St. Charles Police Department would like to offer 10 tips for protecting yourself against shopping crimes this holiday season:


  1. Pay attention to your valuables (bags, purses, wallets, phones, etc.) at all times and avoid distractions such as talking on your cell phone or listening to an MP3 player.

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  • Wear your purse diagonally across the front of your body or place your wallet in a front pocket.

  • Do not carry large sums of cash.

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  • Beware of strangers that approach you or bump into you.

  • Conceal your PIN during credit/debit card transactions.

  • Throngs of shoppers can lead to frustrations, rage or even mob violence. If you find yourself in a mob scene, remain calm and carefully move to the outside of the mob. Search out protective barriers like walls, and avoid bottlenecks.

  • Never park in an unlit or poorly lit parking lot.

  • Never leave packages visible inside your car. Store them in the trunk instead.

  • Have your keys in your hand when you approach your car. While loading your, car do not leave handbags or purses unattended.

  • Check your account balances frequently to check for unauthorized purchases and report lost or stolen cards immediately.


    • “Shoppers really need to keep track of their valuables and be aware of who is around them at all times,” warns Bill Tynan, Crime Prevention Officer in the St. Charles Police Department. “Turning your back briefly on a bag of purchases or a purse resting in a shopping cart is all the time a criminal needs to take those items.”


    For more information, visit www.stcharlesil.gov or contact Bill Tynan, Crime Prevention Officer at 630-377-4435.


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