When you are out shopping for presents, you don't want to end up giving to thieves. But it's easy to get careless when you're in and out of the mall. Especially at this time of year, police and mall security want people to protect themselves and their purchases from thieves.
Syracuse Police Lieutenant Joe Cecile says, "Cars they don't see anything in, they're very rarely breaking into. It's the ones they see something in that they want, something of value, then they smash the window and take it."
They recommend locking all your things in the trunk of your car or you can check them in the mall food court.
Carousel Mall Security Director Tim Erwin says, "You can leave all your packages right there and they'll be more than happy to keep an eye on them and return them when you're ready to go.
On Tuesday, we found plenty of people who left their bags in plain view in their cars. Besides bags, we found GPS mounts and satellite radios left in cars as well. These are all signals for thieves there could be more inside.
Erwin said, "I would not leave a hundred dollar bill laying on the dashboard and you shouldn't leave a GPS laying on your dashboard."
The Syracuse police even advise you clean off your windshield to remove any signs that you have a GPS.
Most the customers we spoke to are taking the safety advice.
Donna Brooks, a shopper, said, "I put something over them so they're not visible and put them in the back so no one sees them and wants to take them out of our car. "
Some even go an extra step to make sure they don't become a victim.
Shopper Nancy Robinson says, "Lots of times you shop all morning and have lots of bags. When it's time for lunch we go to the car but then we would move our car to another spot in case someone was watching us put our things in the car. Then we go shop all afternoon."
Security at the mall likes that idea because they want to make sure your gifts go to the people on the nice list, not the naughty list.
