“Safe trading” at Christmas

The key aim is to stop pickpockets victimising people who are Christmas shopping, and to prevent robbery with violence and intimidation in retailers, department stores and hypermarkets.

Officers who are assigned to the “Safe Trading” deployment will be on watch in the main commercial centres of towns and traditional markets throughout the country, including in the Balearics, and in leisure areas. They will also be active on public transport where unsuspecting members of the public could be taken unawares by robbers.

As well as reinforcing the police presence during the holiday season, officers will be offering advice to businesses on minimising their vulnerability to robbers, and to shoppers to stop careless practices being taken advantage of by thieves in crowds.

National Police headquarters, with a view to the safety and well being of all traders and shoppers, have called on the assistance of Local Police units and private security firms. H.Q. will be issuing a list of basic “do's and don'ts” on their social networking site, @policia en Twitter.

Essential advice includes always keeping an eye on small children in case they disappear and pin identity and parents' mobile numbers to children's clothing. Police advise teaching children to repeat their address and home telephone number. Police said never take money out of a bank account at the request of unknown third parties, however good the business might sound.

Card sharps, warn police are often active in town centres and are skilled at distracting the attention of bystanders whilst wallets and purses are rifled.

Police also pointed out that if purchasing on the internet, make sure that everything ordered is finally received and keep copies of orders and invoices.