Criminals don't care what season it is, so don't leave intriguing items in plain sight to be stolen, that's the lesson the Monterey County Sheriff's Office is delivering this month.
According to Crime Specialist Dave Crozier, one common, yet unexpected crime this time of year is theft of gifts left for your everyday visitors — mail carriers, garbage pick-up people, newspaper delivery people, etc. And with an abundance of this type of theft in the south Bay Area, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office wanted to share a word of warning up through California.
"Every year theft reports are made regarding removal of gifts attached to refuse containers and mail boxes," the Sheriff's Office said in a prepared statement. "This shameful and thoughtless act can be stopped."
So if you don't want your cookies, sweater, or whatever you're giving to your daily deliverers to get stolen, think hard about your own method of delivery.
The Sheriff's Office suggests getting the recipients' home addresses or learning their delivery schedules so you can either mail or hand deliver the gifts you wish to give.
It's also a good idea to give your delivery folks a heads up that there's a gift coming for them, so if you're hand delivering it they remember to knock on your door instead of leaving your deliverables in the driveway unannounced.
According to the Sheriff's Office, especially "gifts left overnight are a prime target" of thieves.
But criminals aside, winter weather is a great reason not to leave gifts outside in the p.m. Fortunately this week, rain is only expected in Gilroy on Wednesday, Dec. 12. But the showers are set to arrive again on Sunday, Dec. 16 and stay through the following Wednesday, if not longer.
