Holiday Shopping Safety

We are in the home stretch of the holiday season. I hope you have made plans to safely celebrate with family and friends. I also want to encourage you to keep safety in mind when shopping for that perfect gift for your loved ones.

Whether you are heading to Westfield Valencia Town Center, Main Street in Old Town Newhall or any of the dozens of amazing shopping areas in our City, make sure you park in a well-lit area. As your hands fill up with packages, bags and boxes of gifts, it may be tempting to run back to your car and toss them on the seat. However, crooks are on the lookout for an easy take, and it only takes them a second to smash your window and make off with your purchases. If you need to store something in your car – lock it in the trunk and out of sight.

Decided to skip the stores and do all your shopping online? Make sure you have a secure spot for packages to be delivered. Thieves are known to tail UPS, FedEx or mail trucks to pick up with gets dropped off. When possible, require a signature for delivery or have the packages shipped to your workplace or a neighbor you know will be home.

Don’t forget about the #9pmRoutine this holiday season. Every night when the clock strikes 9:00 p.m., make sure your doors and windows are closed and locked. Ensure your porch light is on, and if your car cannot be parked in a garage, make sure you remove all valuables, roll up the windows and lock the doors and trunk.

I want to wish all of you a joyous holiday season and make sure you follow the City and the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station on social media for more holiday safety tips.

City Manager Ken Striplin can be reached at kstriplin@santa-clarita.com