The Community Constable for Steinbach RCMP says all too often you hear those horror stories of people coming home from vacation, only to discover their house has been ransacked by thieves. Dennis Redikop would like to offer a few tips to ensure you are not the target of thieves, especially at Christmas.

If you are heading away for a few days, Redikop says you want to make sure your house still looks like somebody is home. That means asking a neighbour or friend to check up on your place and clearing the driveway of freshly fallen snow. He also recommends putting your lights on timers.

"Have a friend, a family or a relative or a neighbour drop by your house, making sure everything is still secure, everything is locked up," he advises.

If you still have some Christmas shopping to do, Redikop suggests using credit or debit to pay for purchases, rather than filling your wallet with cash.

"Don't carry lots of cash, just in case your wallet does get stolen, that you are not out a lot of money," he says. "Credit cards, debit cards can always be quickly cancelled."

Also, he says you should keep your wallet close to you in your front pocket, not in a back pocket.

Redikop urges people to watch out for "porch pirates" while shopping online. He notes with online shopping ramping up at this time of year, thieves are stealing packages off of front steps. His suggestion would be to try and be home on the day that your delivery is expected or to make arrangements for the package to be delivered to your backyard or even to your place of work.

Redikop says all too often at this time of year, people warm up their vehicles before heading out, but then leave the keys in the ignition. He notes a running vehicle left unattended is a crime of opportunity for a would-be thief.

Meanwhile, Redikop says if you end up receiving some big-ticket items for Christmas, it is a good idea to write down the serial numbers in case they are stolen down the road. And, he says you need to be careful how you dispose of those boxes. If you put them in the recycle bin at the end of your driveway, he says you are just letting everyone know what is now in your house. His suggestion is to rather cut up the box, break it down or place it in bags so that it is not visible to the public.

Redikop says he has had the unfortunate task of dealing with people who have had their house broken into while away on holidays.

"We're not immune to crime in this city," he states. "But sometimes it's the little things that keep the thieves away."