Police are offering 12 days of seasonal crime prevention advice during the countdown to Christmas.
Officers are encouraging people to visit the Herts Police website, Facebook or Twitter pages to see a new crime-fighting tip each day.
The countdown kicked off yesterday with information on how to contact your local neighbourhood watch scheme and will run until Christmas Eve.
Inspector Paul Lawrence from the force’s crime reduction unit said this week: “Christmas is a time when people are gathering lots of expensive gift items and rushing around making last minute preparations.
“Often crime is the last think on their minds, so it’s important to remind people to take precautions and make sure they don’t have their Christmas ruined by crime.”
There is also a video on the Herts Police YouTube Channel at www,youtube.com/hertspolice, which features the constabulary’s top 12 tips over Christmas, ranging from postcode marking your presents to locking your shed securely.
The county’s new police and crime commissioner David Lloyd said: “Nothing can ruin Christmas like having your gifts stolen or your pocket picked, so it’s important that we all take the time to make sure we keep our valuables safe and homes secure.”
To get your daily crime prevention tips visit www.herts.police.uk, follow @HertsPolice on Twitter or www.facebook.com/hertspolice