SAN ANTONIO – It happens every year at San Antonio malls: holiday shopping and holiday crime.
According to numbers released by the San Antonio Police Department from 2010 to 2011, there has been a slight increase in theft and burglary of vehicles at North Star Mall, Ingram Park Mall, Rivercenter Mall, Rolling Oaks Mall and La Cantera.
"There does seem to be a little bit or a slight up in burglary of vehicles and thefts," said Sandy Gutierrez with the San Antonio Police Department. "And, that is one of the concerns of course that we have at the department, which is why during this holiday season, there are several things that we put in motion."
Gutierrez said Thursday that aside from stepping up patrols, they also have a group of volunteers who will help patrols by doing roof top surveillance at different area malls.
"What they're doing is looking to see if they find any suspicious activity out there," she said. "And, that they are in immediate and direct contact with the patrols, so that they can be there to prevent that activity from happening."
Still, Gutierrez said crime prevention starts with everyone, beginning by securing their belongings in their cars.
"The suspects, what they do is just go from car to car to car, they find it's unlocked, it's easy access," said Gutierrez. "If they find that it's locked and peer in and see that there's something there, they are going to break that window and they are going to grab it and go."
