Neighbourhood Watch News

Neighbourhood Watch Tasmania Urges Extra Care Over Christmas Period

Neighbourhood Watch Tasmania has urged shoppers to take particular care in the Christmas shopping period.

Neighbourhood Watch Tasmania President, Jan Dunsby, says that whilst Christmas may be the season to be jolly, it is also the season for opportunistic thieves when the stress of our pre Christmas rush lowers our guard.

“ These people look for unlocked cars in shopping centres, unattended handbags in shopping trolleys and homes that are unoccupied over the holiday period. ”

Ms Dunsby said there were several things that people could do to deter thieves over the holiday period. “ Cars should be locked, and any shopping left in the car should be covered to prevent prying eyes from looking for objects worth stealing. Pickpockets and bag snatchers can be deterred by having your wallet in a bag that can be placed over one's shoulder, so that it is at the front .”

Another area where thieves are particularly busy in the Christmas season is our homes, where every year sees homes being targeted by thieves who steal presents from under Christmas trees. “ Neighbourhood Watch urges people to keep presents hidden from people who may be looking in through the window ” Ms Dunsby said.

Visit the Neighbourhood Watch Tasmania website, http://nhwtas.org.au/ , for further information.