It's hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner, and a lot of you might be doing a lot of of your shopping in just a few days on Black Friday. The Boise Police Department says there are some things you should keep in mind if you're going to be out and about in order to keep you and your merchandise safe.
One way to prevent car burglaries is to make sure you don't leave shopping bags in your back seat. Instead, Ed Fritz with BPD says put them in the trunk so they're out of sight.
When you're walking through the mall, down the aisles of your favorite stores and in the parking lot, it's easy to get distracted. With so many other people out and about, Fritz says you need to be even more aware of your surroundings.
"There's so much more opportunity there for a thief to take advantage of," Fritz said. "We have to remember that it's going to be late at night when we're out shopping, there are going to be crowds, we're going to be more distracted this time of year."
Other tips are to keep your wallet close to you at all times instead of putting it in a shopping cart or basket.
"As opposed to taking every single credit card and cash out with you maybe limit that down to what you're going to need in that particular shopping trip," said Fritz.
In the parking lot, Fritz says make sure you're not distracted by your phone, park as close to the store as possible and in well-lit areas.
When shopping online, Fritz says it's important to pay through secure websites that you're familiar with and don't be distracted by deals from websites you don't know. Another helpful tip is to try to only shop online while on your own WiFi network.