With the approach of the holiday season, it’s important to keep a few safety tips in mind while you’re out and about doing your holiday shopping. The following are a few holiday shopping safety tips from the Flower Mound Police Department.

•  LOCK your car, TAKE the keys, and HIDE your belongings, preferably in the trunk. After dark, park and walk in lighted areas whenever possible.

• If you must leave valuable items in your car while out and about, place items out of sight before reaching your destination or move them inconspicuously. This includes packages, backpacks, gym bags, GPS units, MP3 players, laptops and any cords that belong to these types of accessories.  The vast majority of car burglaries occur when there are valuables left in plain sight.

• Plan your shopping/errands so that you don’t load your trunk until you are ready to drive to another destination. Load your trunk when you leave a location — never open a trunk, fill it full of valuables, close it, and then just walk away to do more shopping or other errands.

• When returning to your vehicle, carry your keys in your hand and be ready to unlock the door and enter as quickly as possible. As you approach your vehicle, scan the area, glance underneath the vehicle, and take a quick look inside before entering.

• Be aware of your surroundings; scan the area from time to time. Avoid concentrating so hard on shopping that you fail to keep track of your surroundings, others near you, or your personal property. Shop with friends or relatives if possible; there’s safety in numbers.  If you take your children with you, keep a close eye on them while shopping as well.