9 Holiday Shopping & Safety Tips

Keeping Roseville one of the nation’s safest cities

Roseville, Calif. The Roseville Police Department wants everyone to have a great, safe shopping experience in Roseville.  Through New Year’s Day, police will have increased patrols and special operations to protect  visitors,  residents and their property. 

Extra officers, both uniformed and undercover, will be at work in our shopping areas.  They’ll be watching our stores and retail parking lots for shoplifters, car thieves, vehicle burglars and other criminal activity.

We also have plans to protect our residential areas from package thieves, or “porch pirates.”  Thieves thinking of stealing packages from Roseville neighborhoods might want to reconsider, as we’re planning undercover operations for porch pirates.  Delivery drivers are keeping their eyes out and reporting suspicious activity, and some packages may contain unpleasant surprises.

Your part:  It’s a big job, and we can’t do it without the full participation of our community. 

When shopping:

• Park in well-traveled, well lighted areas.  Lock up and don’t leave any bags or anything else that even looks like it might be valuable in sight.
• Hide your shopping bags in your trunk or cargo area before you drive to your next destination.
• Keep your purse or wallet closed and in your sight and control all the time.  Before you leave a location, check and make sure you have your wallet, cell phone and other possessions.

At home:

• Give porch pirates the old heave-ho.  Your mission is to prevent packages from sitting on your porch unattended.  Every major shipping company offers tools to schedule and manage your deliveries.  If you’re not going to be home when packages arrive, have them delivered to a neighbor or to your shipping company’s closest  outpost-for example, the post office or a UPS Store.  If you order from Amazon, direct deliveries to an Amazon locker, now available in several locations in our area, including 24-hour Safeway stores.
• Do not let your mail sit in your mailbox overnight.  Collect it as soon as you can after delivery.  Hand your outgoing mail to your mail carrier or mail it at the post office.

On the road:

• Buckle everybody up and stow the cell phone!  Allow plenty of time to get to your destination and park, knowing the roads are going to be busy and parking lots full.  Slow down and be patient with other drivers.  Smile.  Remember, it’s about peace on earth!
• Never drink or use other intoxicants and drive.  Buzzed driving is drunk driving.  Designate a sober driver, call for a sober ride home, or stay put.  It isn’t worth it.

Working together, we can keep Roseville one of the nation’s safest cities and the premier shopping destination in the region.  Happy holidays!