City of St. George, Utah :: Have a Crime Free Holiday

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175 East 200 North

St. George, UT 84770

(435) 627-4000

March 20, 2010

Police Department 200 East 265 North St. George, UT 84770 (435) 634-5000
Animal Control 605 East Skyline Dr. St. George, UT 84770 (435) 634-5829
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Have a Crime Free Holiday

St. George is a relatively crime-free place. It's a good place to raise kids, to have a good family life, to live and to work. I get calls quite frequently from those checking out our area as a potential home. They all want to know about the crime rate and the areas of town to avoid. Problem is, they are all coming from larger areas. The areas they avoid are square miles that would encompass the whole of St. George. Face it: this is a good place to be. And therein lies another problem: we come here to a better way of life and we let down. We don't do the same things we had to do where we came from. We become victims of crime by presenting opportunities for criminals. There are some things we can do to take away the holiday temptations to commit crimes:

ALWAYS lock your car. A car is stolen every 20 seconds. In Utah, over 6000 cars are stolen yearly. Most of these are never recovered.
Keep valuable property out of sight. "Value" is a relative thing. A CD case is "of value", as is a cell phone, a wallet, a dayplanner or a purse or briefcase.
When shopping, put your packages in the trunk and then move your car rather than go back inside the store. Thieves watch potential victims go back inside and then hit the car. If you drive away (to another parking spot) they may think you are leaving and look for another victim.
Women tend to sit in cars (more so than men) while they figure out the checkbook or look at the shopping list. You are a potential target for a car jacking or theft. After parking, get out and go in the store. After coming out of the store, scan the area around your car for people parked next to your car. When you get in your car, drive away.
Be aware of vehicles parked next to yours that have people in them. Enter from the side of your car that's away from them, especially if they are sitting in the driver seat and the car is backed in so that their door opens next to you. If you feel uneasy, go back inside and have a security guard walk out with you. Ted Bundy used this approach many times.
Park in well lit areas. You may go in when it's light and come out when it's dark. Plan ahead.
Keep your purse under your immediate control. Never leave it in the shopping basket. You will invariably walk short distances from the cart to retrieve the item you are looking for, exposing your purse to a possible theft.
If you see anyone or any vehicle that appears suspicious, jot down the description, license plate, direction of travel and call the police at 634-5000.

We have started our parking lot patrols with our bicycle officers. This is a busy time of year for them, and for the would-be thief. But we can only do so much. We need your help. Be aware of your surroundings and those around you. They may be "casing" you and your actions. By being more aware and taking precautions, we can all have an enjoyable holiday season.

Craig Harding
Public Information Officer
St. George Police Department

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