The day after Thanksgiving is traditionally a very busy day for retailers. So Crime Prevention Officer S.R. Little says people will see more officers on foot, on bicycles and in marked cars at places like the Friendly Shopping Center Complex, at Four Seasons Mall and at all of the WalMarts. The goal is to help reduce pickpocketing, purse snatching and auto thefts. She also says shoppers can make themselves poor targets.

"If you're shopping at a shopping center and you do have a lot of bags, if you do put them in the trunk. Make sure you go to another location because that person standing on the sidewalk may be watching you. Also if you e shopping in a store or grocery story, don leave your purses unattended. It takes just a second for a thief to snatch a purse."

But Crime Prevention Officer S.R. Little warns purses and wallets aren’t the only things adults need to protect.

“We’re finding tit’s a big problem. Small children don’t know their parents’ names. They just know Mommy or Daddy. Make sure that child knows your real name and a telephone number in case we have to get in contact with you in case they do get lost. 
A good tool the police department has is Identi-Kid. So you can have a little card with that information along with their fingerprint. And it’s free. You can go to your local law enforcement agency and ask for the Identi-Kid kit.”

Officer Little cautions not letting your child or children wonder off alone.   She also recommends teaching them what to do if they do get lost, how to find a store manager or where the safe places are located in stores and shopping centers. 

Little also recommends paying with checks or credit cards when possible. "If you're making purchases online, do not save your credit card information because it prevents you from being scammed. Also don use your social security number or driver license number as a password because those can be taken and now you e victim of identity theft."