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Law enforcement focused on holiday shopping safety
Aaron Mesmer reports
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. - Law enforcement agencies across Tampa Bay launched their annual crackdowns on thieves who target busy shopping centers during the holiday season.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw and Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister held news conferences Tuesday where they discussed shopper safety.
READ: TPA prepares for record-breaking number of Thanksgiving travelers
"Crime's always going to be there, but how can we prevent it? How can we deter it? That's a cooperative effort. That's community policing," said Bercaw, speaking from the Westshore Mall. "There are a thousand police officers, 400,000 citizens. Everybody has eyes and ears. That's how we're going to prevent it or stop it while it's happening."
Tampa Police will have their patrol units, along with officers on horseback and motorcycles, patrolling shopping centers and malls. The sheriff's office will deploy similar measures, along with the department's Skywatch tower, which allows deputies to monitor areas from high above the ground.
Bercaw and Chronister both urged shoppers to lock their car doors; HCSO responded to 150 car burglaries from Black Friday through the day after Christmas last year, the majority of which involved unlocked doors.
"You've spent so much time shopping for that special item for that loved one in your life, don't leave it sitting in the front of your car," said Chronister. "Thieves won't steal what they can't see. Take an extra moment and lock it in the trunk of your car."
Authorities are also urging online shoppers to take precautions, including trying to be home when their items arrive to prevent package thefts. Tampa Police have already seen nearly 300 packages stolen from porches this year, compared to about 180 at this time last year.
Other recommendations include using credit cards whenever possible for added fraud protection and avoiding carrying large amounts of cash; HCSO saw a rise in pick-pocketing crimes last year.