Shopping Mall Safety Tips for Christmas & New Year's 2009

**Note: the following tips, suggestions and advice come from the writer's personal experience working in clothing retail in heavily trafficked mall areas.

As countless Americans continue shopping for Christmas gifts this week, there is one thing that should be on the mind of each and every man, woman and child: safety. That's right. The holiday season is a peak time for crime and violence, usually in the form of shoplifting and store hold ups. And don't just think you need to keep up your guard before Christmas. Dozens of shoppers will be standing in customer service lines for weeks after Christmas, trying to return that gift that just didn't work out. Maintain awareness of your surroundings at all times and check out these holiday safety tips and suggestions:

1. Never Walk Alone

This rule applies to night and day as well as indoor and outdoor scenarios. As a general rule of thumb, you should always avoid walking to or from your vehicle completely alone. When you do, you leave yourself vulnerable and open to a physical attack or assault. If the mall has parking lot security officers, you might try flagging one of them down and requesting that he accompany you either to the mall entrance or to your vehicle if you are leaving. This is particularly important at night, but should be considered a safety procedure for all hours of the day as well.

If possible, do your shopping with a group of friends or with close family members. A thief or assailant is less likely to attack a large group of people as opposed to a singular, vulnerable individual.

2. Avoid Dark and/or Secluded Bathrooms

Whenever possible, try to locate a bathroom either in a well lit and crowded area and/or near the entrance to the mall. Bathrooms are a high risk place for sexual assaults, kidnappings and child abduction. For these reasons, you should always plan to assist younger children in going to the bathroom and even enter the bathroom with them. Never leave a child alone in a mall bathroom. According to The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC: www.ncmec.org) over 100,000 children are abducted every year. Unfortunately, too many of these kidnappings occur in broad daylight and in crowded shopping malls and retail stores. Do not let your child become the next statistic.

3. Notify a Store Associate, Manger or Mall Security Officer if you Notice a Shoplifter

Every Christmas, countless arrests are made in retail stores and shopping malls nationwide due to shoplifting. While the vast majority of shoplifters tend to be unarmed individuals who simply wish to cheat the system and escape with their stolen merchandise, one can never be too careful. If you see or suspect a fellow shopper of stealing, quietly and discreetly seek out an associate and/or store manager immediately. Be certain that the associate or manager plans to notify security or local law enforcement.

4. Do not Overload Yourself with Bags/Boxes of Merchandise

This may be tough to avoid, particularly during the holidays. However, you should always be wary of how much merchandise you attempt to carry on your physical person. An assailant, pickpocket thief or kidnapper will have a much easier time carrying out his devious act if your hands and arms are momentarily unable to move. Similarly, you should avoid being too distracted by your merchandise or merchandise displayed in storefront windows. You should be much more aware of your surroundings and the people with whom you are surrounded.

5. Look for Fitting Room Attendants

One trademark of any good clothing retail store is a fitting room attendant: an associate who monitors the fitting room and assists customers with their merchandise while going in and out. This attendant should be standing in front of or inside of the dressing room area at all times. If for any reason you approach a fitting room that is unmonitored, it is usually a good idea to request the whereabouts of the attendant. You should additionally check to be sure there are other customers in the fitting room trying on merchandise as well. Too many sexual assaults, particularly on women, have occurred in unmonitored fitting rooms. However, a predator will be less likely to attack a woman in a heavily occupied dressing room. Do not allow yourself to become an easy target.

Keep these shopping safety tips in mind while you're out and about this Christmas and New Year's season. And remember that no piece of merchandise is worth risking your own personal and physical safety or the safety of your children and family. Be safe and think safe!