By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Christmas draws near.
To keep it bright and cheery, take a few precautions.
“I’ve always said, in my time in policing, that this time of year it brings out the best in a lot of people, but it brings out the worst in those with more nefarious thoughts,” St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.
Luster points out a lot of us do a lot of online shopping.
“A lot of Amazon boxes, a lot of boxes being delivered,” Luster says. “So, really pay attention to your deliveries, when they’re coming; not leaving those packages out on your porch for long periods of time, almost enticing those criminals.”
Luster suggests that if your work allows it, have packages delivered to the office.
Perception plays a role in all this.
Luster says many perceive criminals as the strong-arm type, but adds most criminals will not approach you, attempting to overpower you.
“They’re opportunists. They may not have gone out that day with the intention of stealing any packages, but when they see a whole bunch of packages on a porch, they just decide to make that move,” Luster says. He adds a few steps can prevent theft. “One is just really pay attention, if you can, to those deliveries.”
That goes the same for getting out and going store-to-store. Place purchases in the trunk or at least out of sight.
A key to having a safe holiday season, according to Luster, is simply to slow down.
“It seems just this time of year, and I’m not immune to this either, where things get really busy and you get in a hurry and sometimes you just forget that you have stuff laying there. It just seems like this time of year there’s really this hustle and bustle. It stresses a lot of people out,” Luster says. “That’s the last thing you need is a broken window and gifts stolen that cost money. That will really put a damper on your holiday season for sure.”
Take steps to protect yourself as well.
“Also, remember there’s a lot of traffic out there and, like I said, sometimes this brings out the worst in people. So, you get impatient people out there,” according to Luster. “Just allow yourself that extra time. Stay patient and be kind to one another.”
You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.