Braving December’s cold temperatures and the havoc of pre-Christmas shopping center parking lots, the students in the Criminal Justice Program offered by the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and Charles County Public Schools issued hundreds of notices to local shoppers in an effort to help prevent thefts during the busy holiday shopping season.
The students participated in Detect and Deter, a public safety operation during which they canvass shopping center parking lots in search of vehicles that could become theft targets because gifts, money, electronics or other valuables are in plain view. Once they detect these vehicles, the students leave a notice on the windshield to deter the vehicle owners from continuing unsafe practices.
The notices suggest better crime prevention techniques — like hiding valuables in the trunk — and warn citizens that thieves might take advantage of the opportunity to steal any valuables easily seen in the vehicle. The students issued about 450 notices.
For more information about the Criminal Justice Program, visit the Charles County Sheriff’s Office’s Web site at
www.ccso.us.