BETTER WATCH OUT! SAN DIEGO COUNTY SHERIFF OFFERS TIPS TO AVOID GRINCHY CROOKS AND CON ARTISTS
Sheriff Bill Gore’s ‘Holiday Watch’ program joins forces with Coldwell Banker and offers 5 tips to help protect residents, families and their homes during the holidays.
VISTA, CA – December 19, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — San Diego may rank 9th amongst Forbes Magazine’s list of “America’s Top 10 Safest Cities”, yet San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore warns, “Criminals don’t take the holidays off. In fact, the busy travel and holiday season provides increased opportunity for unsuspecting and distracted residents to fall victim to opportunistic crooks and con artists.”
Sheriff Bill Gore’s Holiday Watch program, a multi-faceted public safety and information campaign, has ramped up patrols until the New Year with Deputies, Senior Volunteer Patrol (SVP) members, uniformed, and undercover operations near busy neighborhoods, malls, trolley stations and other hot bed locations for criminal activity throughout San Diego County.
A new consumer survey of approximately 1,000 respondents from Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, confirmed that more than half (54 percent) stay overnight with their families so they can all be in one household during the holidays. As residents hit the road to visit family and friends and shoppers pound the pavement for last minute gifts Sheriff Bill Gore offered Coldwell Banker these 5 crime preventing tips from his Holiday Watch program to help keep residents, families, and their homes safe during the holiday season.
1. Keep presents out of sight—store them in your trunk while in stores shopping and be sure they are not visible through unobstructed windows once at home.
2. Take extra caution when carrying a wallet or purse and don’t leave purses unattended or unzipped. They are the prime targets of criminals in crowded shopping areas, transportation terminals, bus stops, on buses and other rapid transit systems.
3. When leaving your home overnight or for an extended period time during the holidays have a neighbor or family member watch your house and pick up your newspapers and mail.
4. Beware of strangers approaching you for any reason. At this time of year, con-artists may try various methods to distract you with the intention of taking your money or belongings.
5. Never allow children to make unaccompanied trips to the restroom or parking lot. Children should never be allowed to go to the car alone and they should never be left alone in the car.
The Sherriff’s Vista Station set up a command post at the Coldwell Banker Vista Village parking lot located at 40 Main Street on Saturday, December 17th, from 2 p.m. to 12 a.m. as part of the Holiday Watch program while Realtors and staff of Coldwell Banker Vista Village hosted a booth dedicated to the collection of new unwrapped toys supporting the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation and provided refreshments and snacks for deputies.
“We are so thrilled to help support the efforts of Sheriff Bill Gore’s Holiday Watch program and Toys for Tots, as real estate professionals we know how important community safety and service is to our clients and residents,” said Branch Manager, Susan Anderson. Coldwell Banker is accepting new unwrapped toys for their annual Toys for Tots drive at any of the 20 branch locations throughout San Diego County until Sunday, December 18th.
Shoppers and residents can report suspicious or criminal activity by calling the sheriff’s department at (858) 565-5200.
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About Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in San Diego and Temecula Valley
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, a leading residential real estate brokerage company, operates 23 offices with approximately 1,200 sales associates throughout the Greater San Diego and Temecula Valley Regions. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage (www.californiamoves.com) is part of NRT LLC, the nation’s largest residential real estate brokerage company. NRT, a subsidiary of Realogy Corporation, operates Realogy’s company-owned real estate brokerage offices.
Contact:
Patrick Roustan Jr.
Marketing Coordinator
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
Direct:858.793.3171
Fax:858.793.8178
Patrick.Roustan (at) camoves (dot) com
Contact:
Patrick Roustan,
Patrick.Roustan (at) camoves (dot) com
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
(858) 652-0858
