By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net 

AS the holiday season often sees a rise in crime, Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings said Bahamians remain careless in protecting themselves from criminals.

CSP Skippings recently told reporters that the public is not taking enough precautions to safeguard themselves. She urged citizens to apply the same caution they use when traveling abroad to their daily routines at home.

“Bahamians are not doing enough to ensure they’re not targeted,” she said. “They’re still very careless because they feel that they’re at home. They let their guard down.”

CSP Skippings noted that although CCTV and other security measures are in place, citizens must still take responsibility for their own safety. She explained that as the holiday season approaches, “criminals would want to buy gifts for their family members as well”.

She urged holiday shoppers to stay alert when leaving stores with large bags and warned against leaving packages visible in vehicles. Citizens are advised to avoid carrying large sums of cash and not to visit banks at late hours.

Additionally, business owners are encouraged to use local police stations for escorts to the bank when depositing funds.

“Let the officers come to your establishment and escort you to the bank so that you can deposit your funds safely. We don’t want any incidents occurring, yet we still see business owners taking risks and going alone,” CSP Skippings said.