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Tip of the Week: Safety Tips for Black Friday Shoppers

18:40 22 November in Tip of the Week Personal Safety, Tip of the Week Travel Safety

Friday, November 25th, 2016, the day after Thanksgiving, is traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year known as Black Friday and kicks off the first day of the official shopping season. In 2015, 74.2 million people shopped on this day alone.

While shoppers focus on bargains and discounts – the criminal element is also very much at work, staging for their most productive time of year. Stealing your bags and packages is their primary focus, but don’t forget about securing your vehicle as well.

Before you venture out to the mall, here are some security tips that just might make a big difference in keeping your shopping experience enjoyable and not become a tragic event.

In the Parking Lot

 

rampart_group_tip_ofthe_week_black_friday_shopping_31. If available, use Valet Parking. Criminals need time to conduct surveillance on specific targets. When you arrive at the mall, the safest parking choice for you and your vehicle, although limited, is valet parking. When you valet park your car you are not only freed up from having to locate that hard to find parking space but you also only have a short walk to enter the mall, thus giving criminals little opportunity to observe you. Plus, your car is parked close by where there is some degree of observation while you shop.

2. Park in a well-lit area of the parking lot, and preferably close to the mall or retail shop entrance. Again, limiting the distance required to enter the mall or retail store lessens the criminals’ surveillance time.

3. Lock your vehicle! If you have packages from shopping at other retail stores, place them in the trunk of your car where there is no visibility and not in the back seat where they are visible and encourage criminals to break into your vehicle. This practice serves you good even if you are heading straight home and decide to make a quick stop at the grocery store.

4. Keep the number of shopping bags to a minimum. The more shopping bags you carry, the greater target you become – especially if you did not valet park and must walk a distance to your parked car at the corner of the mall parking lot.

5. Keep your keys out and ready. If you are carrying several bags in your hands and did not valet park, maintain your keys in one hand so that you do not have to place your bags on the ground to search a pocket or handbag for your keys.

6. IMPORTANT! If your vehicle happens to be parked with a van next to it where your visibility to see inside the van is limited by tinted windows or full sliding doors, make sure you enter your vehicle from the side opposite the van. It is also best to enter your vehicle while others are in the parking lot and you are not alone.

7. Take note of where you park and if possible take a picture of the general area around it on your phone and include your vehicle’s license plate in the picture. Doing this will not only help you to locate landmarks around where you parked, in case you forget but can also assist with reporting if it’s stolen.

8. Stay Alert! Be suspiciously aware and on a heightened alert to your surroundings from the time you get out of your car, throughout your shopping experience, the return to your vehicle, and your drive home or back to the office. Don’t let your guard down until you are safely at home.

In the Mall

 

rampart_group_tip_ofthe_week_black_friday_shopping1. Use a pre-paid debit card or bring only one credit card. To cut down on potential identity theft consider using a pre-paid debit card or by carrying only one credit card will minimize your loss if your card gets stolen. It’s easier to report one lost card then multiple ones that you might carry around in your wallet. Research the available options with your bank of choice.

2. Save your receipts on your person and don’t leave them in the bags. Being the victim of a car prowl or burglary is bad enough but when the items taken are gifts it becomes an even bigger problem. Knowing exactly what was taken; its price and serial number will help with reporting it to an insurance company.

3. Practice wallet or purse safety. Try and keep your purse slightly to the front and inside of your elbow and try and place it where you have a tactile feel for it. The elbow out can assist with leverage in case someone tries to lift or pull on the purse. Having it towards the front can thwart criminals who use sharp objects to cut into the purse while one is distracted so that they can lift out items of value. Wallets can be placed in a front pocket or inside of a jacket to keep them from the fingers of a pickpocket.

4. Zip your bag and do not allow contents to be visible, and never leave your handbag in a shopping cart or on a counter unattended and don’t show large sums of cash at the checkout line. It only invites attention.

5. Have a specific meeting place and time for everyone to meet if anyone gets lost or problems occur. Cell phone reception is not always the best in some of these huge stores and malls. Make sure you also “brief” your kids on who and how to get help from someone if they do get lost. During the holidays, many malls hire off-duty police officers for foot patrols around the malls and operate their security staffs at maximum levels.

5. Keep the phone in vibrate mode also so that you know when you have an incoming phone call. This method will aid when trying to locate children or other family members. The crowd noise can be awful inside some these stores on this peak shopping day.

Hopefully, these tips will help you and your family to have a fun, safe and crime free shopping experience.

 

kathy-leodler-headshot-for-sidebarKathy Leodler
Chief Executive Officer
Email:kathy.l@rampartgroup.com
Phone: (360) 981-2703
PI License #3555
paul-leodler-headshot-for-sidebarPaul Leodler
Executive Vice President
Email:paul.l@rampartgroup.com
Phone: (360) 981-3397
PI License #4180

Additional Resources:
National Crime Prevention Council’s website

Rampart Group’s Client Resources:
Parking Lots and Personal Security – 15 Key Tips to Keep You Safe

Using Uber or other share-ride services – Personal Security with Shared Ride Services

We at Rampart Group are committed to your security. Call 1-800 421-0614 or contact us today with your security or investigative needs.