During the holidays people can get caught up in the excitement season, and end up forgetting about some basic things they can do to keep themselves and their belongings safe.

Mall safety is a big concern this time of year, as thieves will hang out in parking lots and wait for shoppers to drop off some of their expensive gifts in their cars being going back inside, giving them a chance to strike.

Cst. Ruben Geleynse with the Lacombe Police Service says most criminals are looking for an easy score.

“Ultimately they (thieves) are lazy; they are looking for easy targets. A lot of them are not going to put the effort into trying to get into a vehicle that’s difficult to get into. So they are going to walk through parking lots trying door handles, and the first one that opens is going to be a victim.”

Geleynse says a more modern problem police are noticing, is when people post about their holiday trip online, which can double as an advertisement for thieves.

“It’s very common to see people post on Facebook either an upcoming trip, or they’ll post photos of when they are actually gone, basically advertising that they’re house is empty, or it’s going to be empty from this date to this date.”

Another issue that's becoming more common is people who have packages delivered to their homes, are having them stolen right off their front porch.

Geleynse suggests having your packages delivered to your work or to a neighbour's house to avoid this, and to also discreetly dispose of garbage so as not to advertise to potential thieves about the expensive new electronics you received. Another tip to avoid mail theft is to make sure you check your mail daily.

Other holiday safety tips include having your neighbours look after your house if you are gone for a long period of time, or leave a light or a radio on so the house doesn’t appear unoccupied.

When it comes to your actual Christmas tree, Geleynse says artificial trees are an easy way to stay safe, but if you go with a real one, ensure that it is properly watered because a dry tree inside can easily catch fire if exposed to open flame.