Welcome to the December 2020 edition of THE PENS DISPATCH. This bulletin is brought to you from the Precinct I Criminal Investigations Unit and is designed to keep you aware of crime trends in your area and tips on measures you can take to keep you and your family safe.

Public Safety Topic of the Month

With the holiday shopping season upon us, the officers and staff at Precinct 1 would like to provide the following holiday safety tips.

• Secure all valuables before leaving your car unattended while shopping.
• After making either numerous or large-item purchases such as TVs and electronics, take them home or to a safe location other than your car before continuing your shopping. Often criminals will look for evidence of those purchases in cars parked in shopping centers when deciding which vehicle to victimize.
• Destroy/discard the boxes for TVs and electronics by placing them in solid-colored garbage bags. If left intact by the trash, these boxes can give crooks incentive to break into the residence and steal the new items.

Lock your car.

• Most of the reported thefts from autos happen to vehicles that were left unlocked. Do not leave weapons inside your vehicles.
• Be discreet. Do not show large sums of cash when paying for items, and shield PIN# codes from unwanted observation during electronic transactions.

Be vigilant.

• Be aware of your surroundings and note any suspicious activity.
• See something. Say something. Report any suspicious activity by calling 911.  

On behalf of the staff at Cobb County Precinct 1, we hope you have a safe and happy holiday season.