With the holiday season upon us, Sacramento County Sheriff's officials are taking a moment to remind Sacramento-area residents about the two most common crimes to occur around this time of year, vehicle burglaries and thefts.
The department has compiled a list of things residents can do to stay safe. Listed below are some suggestions for the citizens of this community to use in an effort to reduce these offenses:
- Don’t try and hide any items in your vehicle.
- Remove everything of value in your vehicle before you go to any parking lot.
- Never leave valuables in your vehicle at any time.
- Remove items (wallet, laptops, purses, tapes, CD's, gym bags, books, cash, or anything of value) from the vehicle when possible.
- Remove "pull-out" style stereos and/or removable faceplates of stereos.
- Don’t park at your destination and then place valuables in the trunk.
- If you must put valuables in your trunk, do so before you arrive at your destination.
- Thieves are often watching you and your vehicle when you are parking.
- In many different parking lots, especially gym or sports parking lots, thieves assume that you have left your purse and wallet and will check every vehicle for valuable items.
- Never leave any keys in your vehicle.
- Always lock the doors and completely shut the windows, even when you are away from the vehicle for a short time.
- Park in lighted areas and don’t park in between larger vehicles.
- Park in garages or on driveways or near your house or apartment so that the vehicle can be viewed periodically.
- Use a locking steering wheel device.
- Install or always use your car alarm.
Sheriff's Department neightborhood watch community reach out programs are also being posted. Meetings are scheduled for January, March, May, September and November. According to Sheriff's officials, the purpose of these meetings is to open the channels of communications between The Sheriff’s Department and the entire community and to hear the concerns you have in your neighborhood.
What: Vehicle theft and burglary meeting
Where: Fair Oaks: La Vista High School, 4501 Bannister Rd. Carmichael: Del Campo High School library, 4925 Dewey Drive.
When: Jan. 22, 6 p.m.
