COLORADO SPRINGS- Christmas is a wonderful time of the year for everyone receiving gifts, but if we aren’t careful it can also make it easier for thieves to target your house. Always watching out for you, we spent time cruising neighborhoods in Colorado Springs and discovered boxes left in front of homes. Police say people who are putting out boxes with the trash and are giving the crooks a reason to break-in.
Full trash cans and empty boxes tell the story of a Christmas morning full of presents, but police officers say over the years this has also become a shopping list for crooks.
“We will have bandits that will just kind of drive the neighborhoods and they will see what individuals are leaving out by their trash cans. If they see big boxes, they might see electronic equipment that has high dollar value that might be a target,” said Lt. Howard Black of the Colorado Springs Police Department.
While some boxes were left in plain sight, other neighbors appear to be getting the message.
“We always ask people to reverse that cardboard, maybe tear it and reverse it. Don’t let individuals see what you might be experiencing in your home. All these new items,” said Lt. Black.
With so many people buying gifts online this year the number of boxes sitting on curbsides, or even on the porch at different times of they year has only created more opportunities for thieves. Police leaders say they need help stopping the threat.
“If we see cars kind of moving two or three times down your street you’re really not familiar with that car. They look like they might be checking out the trash, or checking out the house please give us a call,” said Lt. Black.
