Make sure to keep close eyes on your gifts during the holiday season

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s that time of the year when many people can’t wait to shop until they drop.

But before you drop your gifts off in the car and walk away make sure they are safe and secure.

People look forward to the holidays. Shopping for those Christmas deals and watching their loved one’s faces light up when they open that perfect gift on Christmas morning.

But you may need to make sure those gifts are locked up tight to keep would-be Grinches from stealing your Christmas joy.

The Holidays are here and people are spending their money on gifts for friends and family.

Whether it’s online or in stores shoppers need to be careful, because there could be someone lurking out there to take the “Merry” out of your Christmas.

Kristin Tate with ALFA insurance says during the Holiday season her customers call her to make sure they are covered just in case they are the victim of a crime.

“We go ahead and take a look at the coverages and make sure that those customers haven’t made a large purchase over the year that has been missed and we go over that and have those conversations and at that time we can increase the coverages,” said Tate.

Tate also suggests that you keep those big purchases under wraps.

“We go ahead to have those conversations with our customers to lock the door before you leave to not put any cardboard boxes or obvious purchases that they’ve made out by the road and that’s one way that our homeowners can protect themselves,” said Tate.

Captain Anthony Nelson, Patrol Commander at Columbus Police Department says it’s an unfortunate holiday tradition – each year crime increases as we get closer to Christmas, and that’s why people need to be extra cautious.

“Most people who are going to commit crimes find that the Holidays are a good opportunity to do so therefore if you are out shopping you need to make sure if you buy gifts and you are in the store place them in your trunk and lock them in your trunk,” said Captain Nelson.

And no matter where you live you should always protect your possessions.

“It happens. it happens in every area even in the most perfect neighborhoods in our state. No one is protected against theft so what we do is that we try to caution our customers and caution our community just to be a little bit safer during this time because no matter how lovely our friendly city is there are still bad people and we just have to be ready,” said Tate.

Captain Nelson says The Columbus Police Department plans to increase patrols around shopping centers and residential areas during the holidays.

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