Shoppers, beware. 'Tis the season to be careful.
Police are now putting out warnings to shoppers, especially braving the malls this holiday weekend, to lock their cars. If your items are gone, more than half the time, it's because you left your car unlocked.
"There are a lot of thieves out there and if they see something interesting, they will open the car," said shopper Elizabeth Garcia.
Authorities recommend hiding your GPS, if you have a portable one. Don't leave shopping bags in the trunk. And, if you have a car alarm, don't forget to set it.
In Newport Beach, there is a flashing reminder aimed at motorists to lock their cars. The city has spent more than $700,000 investigating property crimes this year.
At the outlets in Orange, officials said they will have security in place when the mall opens on Thanksgiving night.
"We keep an eye inside and outside. And, while we can't discuss all that we do, I can say that we do work closely with the Orange Police Department," said Blake Windal, general manager at the outlets at Orange.
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There is a police substation on the property. Cameras will also be focused on the 5,000 parking spots there. Above all, police said it takes five seconds to lock your car -- a nice idea, knowing that others can be naughty this holiday season.
In addition to your car, authorities advise people to lock their front door. Many police departments offer free vacation checks for people out of town.
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