Overall Eaton County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to 807 calls for service/events during the dates of October 31-November 7. Our higher call volumes occurred in the following areas: Traffic Stops-127, Suspicious Situations/Subject/Vehicle-52, Car Deer Accidents-51, Traffic Violations-49, Assist Citizen/Motorist Assist-40, Traffic Hazards-30, Shoplifting Complaints-25, Property Damage Crashes-25, Check Well Beings-24, Alarms-23, Domestic Disputes-21, Personal Injury Crashes-15, Unwanted Subjects-13, Larcenies-11, Civil Complaints-8, and Property Damage Hit and Run-7.
The official start of the holiday shopping season is only a week away. Please keep in mind the following shopping safety tips.
If You Are Shopping:
- Stay alert and be aware of what's going on around you.
- Park in a well-lighted space, and be sure to lock the car, close the windows, and hide shopping bags and gifts in the trunk.
- Avoid carrying large amounts of cash; pay with a check or credit card whenever possible.
- Deter pickpockets and purse-snatchers. Don't overburden yourself with packages. Be extra careful with purses and wallets. Carry a purse close to your body, not dangling by the straps. Put a wallet in an inside coat or front pants pocket.
- Shopping with kids? Teach them to go to a store clerk or security guard if you get separated.
Protect Your Vehicle:
- Loading up on all those gifts is a sign of progress as you’re shopping. But if those packages are left out in the open after they're in the car, your car has become a likely target for thieves. Remember the old cliché "Out of sight, out of mind?" The same idea applies to items in your car.
- Always lock your vehicle and store all items out of sight. Breaking into an empty car isn't worth a thief's time. However, anything left in plain view—from your holiday gifts to spare change, sunglasses, CDs, cell phones or briefcases—may tempt a thief.
- Help prevent your vehicle from being stolen by always locking your car and using anti-theft devices. And although it's cold, never leave your vehicle running while you run inside your home or a store—even if for only a minute or two.
Yours in Public Safety,
Sheriff Tom Reich