It’s great when department’s can provide an extra layer of security.
BY SUN STAFF
As the holiday shopping season is now officially underway, police departments across the country are on high alert.
That’s because, at this time of year, unfortunately, criminals are everywhere looking to take advantage of unassuming shoppers who are just trying to enjoy the season.
The criminals go out to malls, downtown shopping areas and other retail hotspots just like the rest of us –but they, instead, are after the goods we’re buying, and the cash and cards that we’re carrying.
It’s scary. And it’s sad. But it’s a reality of the world in which we live.
With online shopping as prevalent as it is, and especially with peer-to-peer sites such as Craigslist so common place, we’re glad to see that local police departments are stepping in to help the honest shoppers as best they can.
Local police departments have recently begun to make a program available to the residents of town called “safe zones” –some with areas inside of the police department building and some right outside, where people can conduct legal peer-to-peer transactions.
The locations are often equipped with security cameras that will record all activity in the zones, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The launch of “safe zones” are timely, of course, with these types of transactions becoming more popular at this time of year. Police departments play a huge role in making people feel safe. Their job is not just to pull drivers over and arrest criminals.
We couldn’t be happier about the “safe zones” programs in towns that offer it, and we urge police departments in other towns to offer similar programs.
If other towns do offer the “safe zones” program, please remind your residents of it, and urge them to use it.
