BEWARE OF SHOPLIFTERS OVER HOLIDAYS

With the holidays around the corner, shopping foot traffic has reached an all-time high. KMPH Fox 26 news reporter Mayra Franco says this could lead to an increased risk of shoplifters. 

Enjoy this time of year, but take precautions. Here are some safety tips from security officer Jose Sanchez. 

“Make sure you lock your vehicle. Look around your surroundings. Make sure you have your wallet with you. When you go to the store keep an eye out. Just be alert,” Sanchez says.

Shoppers are not the only ones who need to be alert. 

Clothing store owner Alma Wolverton trains her employees so that they can catch the red flags right away in potential shoplifters. 

She says the River Park Shopping Center takes extra precautions by increasing their security guards on duty.

Wolverton says she is protective of her employees at Pum Bum which are mostly young females. Her mom instincts come into play when training them. 

“It’s little things that maybe your dad would teach you, like how to change a tire, but for us it’s like you know don’t have your back toward the door, make sure you’re locking, make sure your keys are on you, make sure you’re calling the second you feel something is a little off,” Wolverton says. 

Marisol Arroyo says she plans her shopping in advance because the crowds are overwhelming, and she is worried about her safety. She gets her shopping done in the early morning when the stores are empty.

She also shares advice as an older sister: “I try to tell my sister, don’t put your headphones in. She’s a little bit younger so she likes to put her headphones in a lot,” Arroyo says.

Out of all of the love we share over the holidays, why not gift ourselves some of that love by acting on these safety tips for our well-being? Stay alert and stay attentive.