The Safe Holidays operation, which aims
to improve surveillance and security
throughout the Christmas and New Year
holidays, has begun, announced to the
Ministry of Public Security.
This year's one-week holiday break will
take place between Christmas Eve and the
second New Year's Day, from Tuesday,
December 24, 2024, to Thursday, January
2, 2025. The public agencies and most of
the private companies grant long holiday
vacations on particular days to comply
with the law and benefit their
employees.
According to the Labor Law, employees
will get their Christmas bonus, known as
aguinaldo, during the first week
of December. Typically, the additional
money is spent on Christmas shopping,
New Year's celebrations, or a family
vacation during the holidays.
The police implemented the surveillance
task on Thursday, Nov. 28, which will
last until January 6, 2024, according to
a ministry statement.
Authorities are increasing police
presence with over 6,000 policemen
stationed on roads, national parks,
tourist attractions, shopping centers,
banks and border posts among other
public areas.
The
security operation is carried out by land,
sea, and air, with the coordinated
participation of all police forces,
including the Ministry Police, Tourist
Police, Mounted Police, Bicycle Police,
Air Surveillance officers, Coast Guard
officers, Traffic Police, Migration
Police, and Municipal Police, authorities
added.
Police
encourage people to take simple
precautions to avoid theft when shopping,
such as:
- Shop with friends
or relatives when taking a trip to the
store.
- Keep your purse
close to your body and your wallet in an
inside coat pocket or a front pants
pocket.
- Avoid flashing a
lot of cash. If possible, opt to use
your digital wallet, credit or debit
card for your purchases.
- Watch over your
items while eating in the food court, as
they may be easy to steal when people
are distracted. Keep your shopping bags
close to you and below your table if
possible.
- Try to make
purchases on just one credit card. Data
breaches may occur, especially during
busy shopping seasons, and cyberattacks
generally increase during holiday sales.
Should this happen, you can reduce the
risk by not having multiple cards
compromised.
- Ask for help
moving and loading large items if
needed.
- Select a central
location to meet if you are shopping
with children in case you are separated.
Teach kids how to ask a security guard
or employee for help if they're lost.
- Remain alert to
your surroundings and try not to be too
distracted by your phone or carry an
overwhelming number of bags.
- Don't leave your
vehicle parked on the road.
- Protect your car
(and everything inside) from burglars,
remember to always lock their doors,
roll up their windows, and park in well-lit
areas or a parking lot.
To
report a robbery, call 9-1-1, authorities
noted.
The Ministry of Public Security (MSP) is
the government agency responsible for
ensuring citizen security, preserving
public order, forming police units, and
coordinating anti-crime initiatives.
---------------
What
should people
do to avoid
being robbed
while
shopping?
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