San Francisco Police Department Reminds Shoppers To Park Smart & Shop Safely During the Holidays 19-135
The San Francisco Police Department today reminded shoppers to protect their purchases this holiday season by following simple safety tips and Parking Smart to help prevent vehicle burglaries.
SFPD has taken significant steps to address auto burglaries by increasing plainclothes teams and doubling uniformed foot patrols, expanding investigative resources at district stations, creating a General Crimes Unit to address serial auto burglars, identifying and focusing on burglary hot spots, and increasing training for fingerprinting. In the first 10 months of 2019, San Francisco police officers booked or cited 533 people for auto burglaries.
“We continue to make progress in identifying and arresting prolific vehicle burglars whom we believe are responsible for a significant number of vehicle burglaries,” said San Francisco Police Chief William Scott. “This holiday season, a few precautions can help you get your shopping done safely and get those special gifts home to your loved ones.”
Safe shopping tips include:
- Stay alert when using electronic devices. Limit your distractions.
- If you see something, say something. If you witness criminal activity or see something or someone suspicious, flag down a police officer, call 911 or contact security.
- Shield your PIN when using ATMs or other electronic devices in public.
- Consider having mailed packages held for pickup.
To Park Smart:
- Never leave valuables in view. Place items in your trunk prior to arriving at your destination.
- Keep all items such as backpacks, purses, cameras and passports on your person.
- Park in a lot with an attendant, if possible.
- Keep packages with you until you’re ready to leave- or move your vehicle to a different location each time you load items into the trunk.
The Park Smart campaign is a collaboration between SFPD, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the Department of Emergency Management, SF Safe, Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District and local tourism and travel partners. The campaign includes signage, posters and other messaging materials placed in garages and on street signs and buses; postcards distributed by police cadets; and social media messages circulated online to raise public awareness about auto burglary prevention.
More holiday safety tips are available at sanfranciscopolice.org/safeshopper and sfsafe.org.
