Temple police will provide the security around local shopping spots until Christmas, but the children part of the solution can be left to someone else.
Since the mid-1990s the Temple Police department have conducted “shopping patrols” in major shopping centers around the city and this year is no different.
Patrols began Friday with the Mobile Operations Unit set up at Temple Mall.
Residents, visitors and shoppers of all ages will notice additional officers at the major retail centers in the city, Sgt. Brad Hunt Temple, Police Department public information officer, said in a press release.
Officers will use the Mobile Operations Unit, bicycles, patrol cars and wear some leather off the soles of their boots on foot patrols to maintain a visible presence at area retail centers.
Those will include Temple Mall, and its surrounding areas such as H-E-B, Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club; Temple Towne Center where Staples and Hobby Lobby are located and Birdcreek Crossing, home to Target, Home Depot and Best Buy.
Officers will focus on personal safety, theft prevention, parking violations (especially for disabled parking spaces) and vehicle burglary prevention, Hunt said.
Community reaction has been very positive in years past, and the department remains dedicated to this commitment of resources throughout the holiday shopping season, he said.
Alice Jamieson from Waco comes to Temple to do her Christmas shopping annually.
“I have been coming here for about six years now. The crowds are not as bad here. Temple has everything we have in Waco and I must admit, the police presence does give me a sense of security,” Jamieson said. “You see them all the time walking around or on their bikes.” Jamieson was in town on Friday to take advantage of sales.
Police on duty said everything was going well as they walked through Temple Mall and shoppers seemed to be enjoying seeing the officers saying hello and smiling at them as they passed.
“Safety and security is what police presence brings to the area,” Carol Wright of Temple said as she packed purchases into her car trunk. “I always try to take extra safety precautions while Christmas shopping. Just small things like watching my handbag more than I usually would and not leaving anything on the front seat,” Wright said. “You have to do it. Having the police around is wonderful but we can all take a little more responsibility and not tempt the not-so-nice people.
“My only other advice is don’t bring the children shopping - with all the displays you never get anything done,” she said, laughing.
The waiting started Thursday night with people outside Best Buy to get in and get early deals. By 1 a.m. a queue had formed to spend the rest of the night camping out.
“The people here are really nice,” Gerald Amie of Temple said. “I hope to get a notebook they have advertised for nearly half price and it will be great if I get it but meanwhile I will enjoy my new-found friends.”
Amie was speaking of other bargain-hunters waiting with him who had bought a pack of cards to help pass the time. Laughter rang out as the group joked and gambled using leaves someone had gone to collect - just to make it more interesting. “Anything to pass the time,” Amie said.
