Athlone Gardai issue timely reminder to Christmas shoppers

With the busy Christmas shopping season now in full swing locally, following the lifting of Level 5 Covid restrictions, Athlone Gardai have issued a timely reminder to shoppers never to leave their purchases visible in cars.

According to Sergeant Andrew Haran in Athlone Garda Station, a car full of Christmas presents is "an open invitation" to would-be thieves, so he has appealed to shoppers to be "extra vigilant and extra cautious" about concealing their purchases at this busy time of year.

"I know shoppers can easily get distracted and may be a bit lax in securing their purchases, but I would appeal to them to put everything in the boot of their car where it won't be visible when they are out and about doing their shopping, and to then ensure that they also conceal any Christmas presents when they get home" he said.

After a very sizeable drop in home burglaries across the country during the Covid-19 pandemic, Sergeant Haran says there has been "an incremental increase" in house burglaries in the greater Athlone area in recent weeks.

Therefore, he has appealed for vigilance from home owners, reminding them of the necessity to ensure their homes are well lit with adequate outdoor security lighting, and to use timer switches on lamps and lights when they are not at home.

He also issued a reminder to homeowners to lock their doors and windows securely at all times.

"A well lit house, especially on these dark winter evenings, is a deterrent to burglars, so it is up to homeowners to ensure that their possessions are well secured at all times, and not to leave all their Christmas presents in areas of their home where they are clearly visible to passers-by and prospective thieves," said the Athlone Sergeant.