Christmas's Own Brand of Thieves

Theft is a pretty popular crime among San Angelo’s low-lives, and just this December there’s been a rash of car burglaries. Burglaries involving the theft of Christmas presents from cars.

But, Christmas-related thievery doesn’t just stop at auto-burglaries.

 “We see a little spike in the burglaries this time of year, it’s a time of year when people get more desperate,” said Ron Pullen, General Sales Manager for Ener-tel Services.

Obviously this time of year, people know that there are Christmas presents underneath the trees, and make sure to lock and secure the domicile.

Something that may slip the minds of many, is what to do with all those empty boxes that once held valuable electronics.

“Don’t leave trash out where people can see you have electronics,” said Pullen. “You have to be real careful as you unbox things, if you leave any of your boxes out, obviously they see you have new toys in the house.”

So waiting until the garbage trucks are coming down the street to take out the empty boxes is probably a smart thing to do.

Pullen also gives advice that many seem to have a hard time to follow when it comes to social media.

“Don’t let people know you’re going out of town for the holidays,” he explained. “It gives the bad guys more of an opportunity.”

That also includes immediately uploading pictures to Facebook, thieves can see that their target house’s members are in Florida and not guarding their home.

Pullen also mentions that a dark house is also an invitation, “if people don’t see activity they know you’re probably out of town.”

“With all the new tech you can arm or disarm your alarm with smart phones,” said Pullen, describing how one can secure their home, even if they forgot to when they first left.

Ener-tel advises that doors and windows be locked and secure, lights and dogs are also a big help, but the biggest help of all is a security company.

Ener-tel’s blog has Christmas home protection tips, as well as how lame the movie “Home Alone” would have been if the McAllister home had an alarm system.

For more information visit www.ener-tel.com or call (325)658-8375