Norwalk: Guard your Christmas presents from thieves

By Sharon Soltes

NORWALK, Conn. – Last week, I was in a meeting with a law enforcement officer. She noted that there had been a series of car vandalisms and that people were making some fundamental mistakes. Here are some things we need to be cautious about.

One woman went to a national retailer, came out with large bags with the retailer’s name on them, put them in the passenger compartment of her car and drove to another store. When she got there, she took her purchases out of the passenger compartment and put them in the trunk. Thieves were watching. While she was in Store #2, the thieves broke into her car, took down the back seat and made off with her purchases from Store #1.

1. When you leave a store with purchases, put the bags in your trunk, not the passenger compartment.
2. Don’t cover the bags, boxes, whatever with a blanket or towel. The thieves know this trick. Put them in your trunk.
3. If you are at a store and put items in the trunk, don’t go back into the store for more “stuff”. Assume someone saw you. They know you have purchases in the car. Either move the car to another distant part of the lot if the parking lot is big enough or take the car to another location and come back later. Don’t park in the same spot.
4. Don’t store gifts in the trunk of your car to protect them from nosy kids, family members. Take them inside or to a friend or relatives home.

I’m guilty of number three, because I often go to one location where there are at least two stores that I purchase item at. It’ll be a pain to move the car, but that will be insignificant against filing a police report, insurance papers and having to deal with everything else that comes with a vehicle break in. Been there, done that, have the police report to prove it.

Oh yeah, and please pass this on to others you know, who are busy with Christmas shopping.

Have a safe and wonderful Christmas!

Sharon