CONWAY, Ark. — As more people hit the stores to buy Christmas gifts for their loved ones, unfortunately, the possibility of crime increases, but local police departments have been keeping a close eye out for you this holiday season.
"It's just more emphasis on having someone there visible so that it feels like a safer shopping experience," Conway Public Information Officer, Matthew Boyd said.
Whether you're walking to your car or into stores, Conway police want you to feel safe doing it.
That's why the department is stepping up its presence for shoppers in the city.
"During the holidays, many more people are coming to the shopping center here in the city. And more people can sometimes mean more problems. Even if it's just parking problems or small fender bender accidents, we have officers that are already tasked out to that shopping center, and can quickly help solve those," he explained.
It's a program called Shop Secure and Officer Boyd said it consists of officers pairing up and patrolling shopping centers.
"Most of the shopping centers are assigned two people. Some of the smaller ones are assigned one. And it's certain times of the day," he said.
It kicked off the week of Thanksgiving and will run through Christmas.
While Officer Boyd said they don't typically see a spike in crime during Shop Secure, they just want to stay proactive.
Another thing people are encouraged to keep in mind is how to store your gifts in the car.
"What we like to see is that people will put them in their trunks if they have those. If it's a vehicle that doesn't have a trunk, somehow cover them up and obscure them so that it just not easily visible," he added.
Officer Boyd also encourages everyone to always be aware of their surroundings.
"If people need anything while we're there, we're just very easy to get hold of," he said.
The Shop Secure Program is being funded by the Conway City Council.