Holiday shoppers advised to stay smart

Shoppers heading to the stores this time of year should take extra precautions, both due to holiday crowds and the ever-earlier darkening skies, authorities said.

“People should park in well-lit areas,” said Bristol, Va., Police Capt. Maynard Ratcliff. “It’s safer to park in an area of the building where there are doors and windows if something happens, its more likely to be observed.”

He said that above all else, people should lock their doors and place valuables out of sight.

Car break-ins seem to “pick up some” around the holidays, he said.

 “Women should carry their purse with them,” he said. “I have heard people [thieves] talk about the fact that they watch ladies get out of their vehicles, and if they don’t have it, they assume it’s in the vehicle and hidden.”

He said that shoppers, women in particular, should walk with confidence to and from the store, and perhaps carry something in their hand – like a set of keys – they can use as a defensive weapon, if needed.

“[Criminals are] less likely to bother with somebody who is going to give them a hard time,” he said. “They prey on people who appear to be an easy target.”

And while in the store, he said, people should never set their purses or wallets down.

“People will put purses in the child’s seat [of a shopping cart] and walk off a few feet away, but that’s all it takes,” he said.

Ronnie and Buffy Terry, of Saltville, Va., said they take extra care while shopping with their three daughters during the holidays.

“We just make sure the kids are with us,” Ronnie Terry said.

And, added his wife, the family doesn’t carry cash.

“I usually won’t go anyplace like this [the mall] or at night unless he’s with me,” she said, indicating her husband. “I keep my purse close.”

Ronnie Terry said the family car has a stowaway section so they can hide valuables.

“I used to be a police officer, so I look at it kind of differently,” he said. “I just look at it as drugs; people wanting to get drugs, and get their fix [could break in and steal money or valuables to sell]. And, it’s more this time of the year – it may be joyous but it’s also depressing.”

Another shopper, Jennifer Houchins, of Castlewood, Va., said she doesn’t really take extra precautions during the holiday shopping season.

“I’m kind of a freebie, I don’t really do anything,” she said, while shopping with her young son. “But it’s more crowded, so I probably hold his hand more, I guess.”

Shoppers should stay calm when facing harried crowds, said Jim Curtis, an attorney with Seyferth Shaw, who specializes in safety and environmental law.

“We’re now through the Black Friday, but peak [shopping] days are Black Friday and the two or three days before Christmas,” he said. “We still have significant shopping days ahead.”

He said this year has been hard on the American people from a financial standpoint, and while retailers should do what they can to control crowds, there are things people can do to diffuse shopping tension as well.

“If you’re out there shopping and see a crowd becoming unstable, or an individual becoming unstable, walk away,” he said. “Your personal safety is paramount to any product you’re going to buy. It’s commonsense stuff – take a step back and … take a deep breath before you head in.”

He said people should stick to their shopping lists to get in and out of stores more quickly, and not overburden themselves carrying several bags and packages.

“Be very much more aware of your surroundings,” he said. “You can only control how you react to people – you can’t control how they react to you.”

arobinson@bristolnews.com

(276) 645-2531