[StBernard] Pay attention to surroundings this holiday season, St. Bernard Sheriff advises

[Westley Annis]

Pay attention to surroundings this holiday season, St. Bernard Sheriff
advises
Print NOLA Community By NOLA Community 
on December 07, 2013 at 7:24 AM

With a child in one hand and bags in the other, people shopping during the
heightened excitement and stress of Christmas and New Year's activities can
be targets for criminals, St. Bernard Sheriff James Pohlmann said, and they
should remember to pay attention to their surroundings in and outside of
stores.

He also reminded parents to be cautious about their children's activities
during holiday school breaks.

Pohlmann said whether St. Bernard residents are in the parish or elsewhere
during the holidays as they shop for gifts or visit others, they should take
precautions to avoid becoming a victim of theft or robbery as they go about
their activities.

"It's possible someone may be watching to take advantage of people
distracted while busily rushing from place to place,'' Pohlmann said.
"Holidays are a time when people often are on the go and could let their
guard down. Just remember to follow some common sense safety tips to reduce
the chances of anything going wrong.''

Here is some advice from Pohlmann for having a safe holiday:

Pay attention to where you park while shopping and, at night park only in
areas that are well-lit, and then lock all doors. Once in a store, men
should protect their wallets from pickpockets and women should remember not
to leave their purses unattended in shopping carts and don't put them down
on counters or floors where they can be taken.

Escort children to a restroom because minors could be photographed, molested
or, worst of all, abducted if left alone in public restrooms. If shopping in
a large store or mall establish a meeting place in case parents and children
become separated.

If possible, all parties should have cell phones to contact one another.
Tell children in advance that if they become separated from you they should
go only to a store clerk or security officer for help, and not to a stranger
who doesn't work in the store.

When leaving a store for a vehicle, scan the parking lot for any suspicious
activities, people standing in a group in one area or sitting in a vehicle
watching patrons leave. At night, you may want to ask a store officer to
escort you. If walking alone, leave from a door nearest your parked vehicle,
have your vehicle keys in hand and, once inside, lock the doors before
leaving your parking space.

Also, when children are out of school for holiday breaks, parents need to be
proactive and ask where they will be and establish times for checking in,
just as they would in summer. Cell phones are the best method of directly
staying in touch with teen-age minors who are away from their parents, but
if they are going to another teenager's home parents should insist on
knowing the telephone number of an adult who will be there.

The information in this article was provided by the St. Bernard Sheriff's
Office Director of Public Information Steve Cannizaro.