Tupelo police give tips to avoid Christmas theft

Police emphasize the importance of only shopping from legitimate online sites

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – It takes only a few seconds, but Tupelo Police Chief John Quaka said locking your car door, whether you’re out shopping, or at home, is one of the biggest deterrents to a criminal looking for an easy target.

“The path of least resistance, if you have a car, that is parked close to the street and the car is unlocked, that is easier for them, as opposed to a locked car in the driveway, or in carport or garage,” Chief Quaka said.

Chief Quaka also encourages people to put those Christmas gifts in the trunk or another spot in the vehicle where they can’t be seen.

And those with security cameras are reminded to register with the TPD’s FUSUS system. It lets police know where home security cameras are located.

“If you have home security cameras that face the road, contact us and register them, it does not give us access to cameras, it just registers them, so if there is car burglaries in the neighborhood, we know who to go talk to to see if there is some camera footage to help solve the case,” Quaka said.

And as more people shop online, it is vital to know a website is legit, before making a purchase. Chief Quaka said if you lose money to a fraudulent website, it almost impossible to get it back.

“There are counterfeit websites trying to fool you into thinking they are a brand name when they are not.   Open the heading of a website,   if you just get a random email or text   I would be really suspicious of that. A lot o these websites are foreign based, and we are not going to be able to recoup the money,” Chief Quaka said.

The chief also encourages everyone to be aware of their surroundings, and to call 911 if you see something suspicious.