Post Falls Police wants to pass along tips to help keep you happy and safe in this time of joy and giving.

Christmas is always a special time of year where we are typically busy taking care of our daily lives with work, children, school and those occasional special events. Now we put shopping on top of everything else.

During this time of year, darkness falls much earlier in the day.

All of these factors can cause us to be stressed out, careless, unprepared and in a hurry to make every minute count.

As we travel from stop to stop, parking lot to parking lot, it is important to remember some basic principles that keep us from being victims of forgetfulness or lack of preparation.

Being aware of your surroundings at all times, taking a friend along when doing your holiday shopping, parking in well-lighted areas, closing all the windows and making sure the vehicle is locked. These are all a good place to start.

When possible lock packages in the trunk or place something over them so they are not visible to people walking past your vehicle.

For the ladies, remember to keep your purse close to your body, not dangling or where you cannot see it.

When using credit or debit cards, keep them out of sight or in the palm of your hand before using them. Do not lay them down or hold them out where others can see or photograph them.

If you stop at an ATM, make sure no one is around you when you are making your transaction. Keep all of your receipts out of sight as these can contain personal information as well. Do not throw them in the trash as you leave the store.

If you have children with you, make sure they know where to get help. Teach your children to go to the store clerk or security guard if they get separated from you. If there is an emergency, they need to know they can call 911 to contact police and or emergency medical services.

Area communities have had more burglaries this year than in the past.

For the month of November, Post Falls had 83 burglary calls which included autos, residential and businesses. In an effort to help all law enforcement agencies, we ask that you pay close attention to what is happening in your neighborhoods. Use your window coverings and inside and outside lights when necessary in your homes.

One area we tend to forget, which can lead people to watch our neighborhoods is your trash and trash pickup. When driving through a neighborhood on trash day, you can see new items people are placing in their homes by what is left on the curb for the garbage man. Empty boxes and wrappers tell everyone when we get new computers and big-screen TVs. Take the time to break the boxes down and place them in a recycle bin or inside the trash receptacle.

If you have any questions or comments, call Post Falls Police at 773-3517 or visit www.postfallspolice.com.

Curtis Exley is a community services officer for Post Falls Police.