Don’t make yourself a target. That’s the warning from the Lompoc Police Department as people begin to throw away the boxes from their Christmas presents.
Potential burglars could be tipped off to what’s inside your house by what’s in the trash outside.
Officer Jason Flint of the Lompoc Police Department recommends cutting up boxes before putting them in the trash.
“If you can, cut it up and fold it up and make it as small as possible and stick it in your recycle bin. Cut off your address label and run it through a shredder so they don’t have that,” he suggested.
That’s what Lompoc resident Steve O’Donnell was doing when we caught up with him Wednesday afternoon.
“Well, I just don’t think I want my labels out there where other people who I don’t know can see them and get my address and maybe information off them for credit cards and other stuff,” O’Donnell said.
Police say it’s also important if you’re uncertain of when your trash day is, to keep the garbage bins close to your house.
“Keep your trash receptacles up near the front of your home and not set it out curbside ’til it’s ready cause once it gets set out curbside, then sometimes people come by on bicycles and try to dig through the trash to find aluminum cans or plastic bottles,” Officer Flint said.
If you’re looking for more information on what to do with your trash, you can visit the City of Lompoc’s website for an updated trash pick up schedule.
