ERPD Chief J.R. Reed

The following are safety tips courtesy of the East Ridge Police Department.

Get Involved! No one individual or agency working alone can prevent crime. It takes police and citizens working in partnership together to prevent crime and build safer neighborhoods. With the holidays fast approaching and holiday packages being delivered daily, everyone needs to pay more attention in our neighborhoods for suspicious vehicles and pedestrian traffic and call the police when in doubt.

 Take a Holiday Inventory: The holidays are a good time to update—or create— your home inventory. Take photos or make videos of items, and list descriptions and serial numbers. If your home is burglarized, having a detailed inventory can help identify stolen items and make insurance claims easier to file.

Make sure items such as TVs, DVD’s, stereo equip­ment, cameras, camcorders, sports equipment, jewelry, silver, computers, home office equipment, and power tools are on the list.  Remember to check it twice!

 Celebrate Responsibly: The holiday season is a time of celebration and revelry. Drinking and driving is a danger to everyone on the road. Remember that the risk isn’t worth it — if you choose to drink alcohol at a party, don’t drive. Take a cab or use a designated driver. Anyone with a blood-alcohol content of .08 or higher is in violation of Tennessee law and may go to jail. Have fun, but remember to celebrate safely and responsibly.

Protect Your Vehicle: Loading up on all those gifts is a sign of progress in the holiday shopping. But if those packages are left out in the open after they’re in the car, your car has become a likely target for thieves. Remember the old cliché “Out of sight, out of mind?” The same idea applies to items in your car. Always lock your vehicle and store all items out of sight. Breaking into an empty car isn’t worth a thief’s time. However, any­thing left in plain view — from your holiday gifts to spare change, sunglasses, CDs, computers, portable games, cell phones or briefcases — may tempt a thief. Help prevent your vehicle from being stolen by always locking your car and using anti-theft devices. And although it’s cold, never leave your vehicle running while you run inside your home or a store — even if for only a minute or two.

If a Stranger Comes to the Door: Criminals sometimes pose as couriers delivering gifts. And it’s not uncommon for people to try to take advantage of others’ generosity during the holidays by going door-to-door for charitable donations when there’s no charity involved. Ask for identi­fication, and find out how the funds will be used. If you aren’t satisfied, don’t give and call the police. Help a charitable organization you know and like instead. Or think about reaching out in the spirit of the season and helping someone who’s less fortunate or lonely. Do your part to make the holidays a safe and happy time for everybody—except con artists and other criminals.

After you’ve opened the Gifts: Burglars know that many households have new, and oftentimes expensive, items in their homes following the December holi­days — especially items such as new comput­ers, stereo components, televisions, cameras and other electronic equipment. In too many cases, residents make it easy for burglars to figure out which homes to target by putting boxes that identify their new gifts in plain view with their other garbage.

Avoid becoming an easy target for post-holiday burglars by not leaving boxes for new electronics and other items in the alley or other garbage pick-up locations for several days at a time. Instead, break down any box­es you are throwing out, put them in garbage bags and place them inside a trash can. (In many cases, especially with computer equip­ment, you might consider keeping the boxes for safe storage, shipping or moving in the future.) Think about keeping broken-down boxes inside — in a garage, for example — until the evening before your regular garbage pick-up. Some burglars actually look inside garbage cans for evidence of holiday gifts. And, of course, if you see someone suspicious, call the East Ridge Police Department. If you see a burglary in progress, call 9-1-1.

If You Are Traveling:

• Get an automatic timer for your lights.
• Ask a neighbor to watch your home, shovel snow, and park in the driveway from time to time.
• Don’t forget to have mail and newspa­per delivery stopped. If it piles up, it’s a sure sign you’re gone.

If You Are Out for the Evening:

• Turn on lights and a radio or TV so it looks like someone’s home.
• Be extra cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
• Don’t display gifts where they can be seen from outside.

If You Are Shopping:

• Stay alert and be aware of what’s go­ing on around you.
• Park in a well-lit space, and be sure to lock the car, close the windows, and hide shopping bags and gifts in the trunk.
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash; pay with a check or credit card when­ever possible.
• Deter pickpockets and purse-snatchers. Don’t over­burden yourself with pack­ages. Be extra careful with purses and wallets. Carry a purse close to your body, not dangling by the straps. Put a wallet in an inside coat or front pants pocket.
• Shopping with kids? Teach them to go to a store clerk, security guard or contact 9-1-1 if they get separated.