Doral Police Department Reinforces Our Safety During the Holiday Season
The main advice from the officers of our Doral Police Department is to minimize the possibility to turn into a victim of delinquency.
By: Edda Pujadas
During an especially active year, after the recession that COVID-19 caused during 2020, the Doral Police Department has reinforced its safety operatives in shopping centers, restaurants, and residential properties.
This was explained by Doral Police Department Captain Nancy Gomez-Fernandez, who was joined by Lt. Yojans Martinez and who added that the police presence in the streets and highways is also being reinforced because the police want to make sure that the rules and traffic laws are being followed during the days in which traffic increases tremendously.
“Let’s remember that this is a highly busy season. During this time people visit more the stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues because in general terms they have some free time from their jobs. These are celebratory dates, people meet in restaurants for corporate and/or family events, so we need to make sure that we are present,” states Captain Gomez Fernandez.
During this festive season, the number of visitors to public places increases, and for this reason, the Doral Police Department also increases its safety activities. “We duplicate the surveillance, through posting officers in uniform, undercover, and with patrol cars”, indicates Captain Gomez Fernandez.
The probability of having empty properties also increases, because from those that have free time, some go on vacations and take the opportunity to travel. “In summary, we are in a season in which crime sees an opportunity and our mission is to avoid that this happens through a combination of strategies based on the increase of our presence in the streets and also by preventing crime.”
Due to the above, the Doral Police Department is not only reinforcing safety precautions in commercial areas, residential areas, and streets, but they are also educating the community about the preventative measures that are needed to minimize the risk to become a victim of delinquency.
MORE PREVENTION, LESS RISK
One of the main points in which the officers of the Doral Police Department have insisted on this is that the most important thing to do is prevention. “For example, when we go out shopping, it is very important to thoroughly close the car and avoid leaving packages that can easily be seen from the outside. The thieves know that if you are in a shopping center, your vehicle can contain valuables inside, so please avoid leaving them in plain sight and make sure that all doors and windows are closed and blocked, do not make their job easier”.
Delivery of packages to the homes is another important thing for which you need to be careful. If you are waiting for a package that you purchased via internet and you are not able to receive it on the day of the delivery, ask your neighbor if they can pick it up as soon as you receive the notification that it has been delivered.
It is also important that when you receive a package, afterwards you compact and keep everything inside the garbage can, because if you leave the boxes visible it will be easy for thieves to know that there are valuable items inside your home. If your garage is full, it is also important that you do not leave your garage open for a long time, as anyone walking in front of it will be aware of what you are keeping inside.
Unfortunately, packages in front of the homes or garages are the most common crime during this season because the thieves know that people purchase a lot more than commonly, so another important issue is security cameras which can intimidate a thief when they know that they are being recorded.
Safety cameras and alarms are now the more secure way to have our homes protected. The Doral Police Department also recommends verifying that doors and windows are closed each time that you leave your home and do not leave any spare keys outside of the home.
Another important thing to remember is to have your trees trimmed, especially those close to your home, and install good lighting in the exterior of your home. Statistics assure that 30% of the robberies to residential properties can be avoided if the homes are properly secured, so please take this advice into consideration.
If you and your family are going out on vacations during these days, it is important that you take into consideration not to allow mail to accumulate in your mailbox. To assist with this, you can request to pause your mail during your vacations or request the assistance of a neighbor.
Captain Gomez-Fernandez also states that technology is a great ally in our safety when you are out on vacations. You can install lighting systems that allow you to configure programs that turn the lights on your home, on and off according to certain schedules, pretending that there are people inside your home.
And finally, please be careful with the information that you share in social media. If you are out on vacations and you are sharing pictures of your actual location, you are also notifying everyone that your home is empty, so it is much better if you wait until you are back home to post about your trip.