Reminder: You Might Not Want To Display Empty Christmas Present Boxes Prominently On The Curb

There you are, happily and cozily ensconced in your house, playing your new PS4 (as long as it’s not a piece of wood) to your heart’s delight, warm with the Christmas spirit that brought you this shiny new toy. But if you want to keep your new pricy electronics and nice clothing, it’s not a good idea to tip off any would-be thieves of what’s hiding in your home by advertising it with empty boxes.

Local police stations are busy warning residents this time of year not to broadcast their holiday hauls by leaving boxes out by the curb, plastered with shipping labels or branding that say exactly what they used to contain, or are so big a person might reasonably guess that a big ticket item was once nestled there.

From Michigan to Missouri, Pennsylvania to Minnesota, law enforcement has been advising folks to be careful when they take out the trash and recycling.

Cutting up boxes, folding them inside out so their labels and advertising don’t show, or making sure they’re concealed inside a recycling bin are all good ways to keep your Christmas quiet. It’s a long-term effort to keep your house safe, as well.

“They drive up and down the alley after Christmas looking, and they take note of addresses,” one officer told CBS Minnesota. “Whether they’re going to come back in a day, come back in a week, or come back in three months, they know exactly what’s in the house now.”