(Memphis) Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies are stepping up patrols just in time for the holidays but they need the help of shoppers.
“Sometimes people even leave wallets, they leave packages from shopping those kind of things because most of the people in our community are not criminals so we are very trusting,” said Chief Inspector Dale Lane with SCSO.
Chief Lane said often shoppers don’t even lock their doors, making it easy for criminals.
“It’s very common, like I said earlier most of these crimes are crimes of opportunity,” added Lane.
WREG has seen how trusting shoppers are when we’ve gone out with officers in Horn Lake, Mississippi, where they found several doors unlocked and purses, credit cards and other items left in plain sight for criminals.
“Anytime we have more people, more vehicles. There’s going to be more opportunity for people to become victims,” said Lane.
SCSO is using several strategies including high visibility patrols, sky cops, sky watch towers and undercover officers to deter crime this season.
