POLICE PATROLLING VALENCIA TOWN CENTER OVER HOLIDAYS.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Staff Writer

With the Christmas shopping season nearing its peak, the Santa Clarita sheriff's station has beefed up patrols at the Valencia Town Center.

Two more deputies have been hired by the mall and the city to watch for potential criminals looking to prey on frazzled shoppers.

``The increased patrols provide a little extra security,'' said sheriff's Lt. Steven Dolan said. ``The deputies are working overtime.''

One of the deputies is assigned to foot patrol inside the mall while his partner drives through the parking lots, on the lookout for potential suspects.

``During the holidays, car burglaries are always going to be on the increase,'' said Sgt. Jim Morrow, training sergeant at the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's station. ``It's always the problem with big shopping centers.''

Officials said the number of burglaries increases with the opportunity.

``With more cars, you have more opportunist types looking to break into cars looking for gifts,'' said Dolan.

Officials said patrols are heightened annually between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

In addition to the mall patrol, the Sheriff's Department has assigned its regular duty deputies to keep a close lookout for suspicious activities in all the city's shopping areas.

Officials said just the presence of deputies can deter a potential thief from committing a crime.

While deputies are always on the lookout, officials said shoppers should protect themselves from becoming victims. They recommend locking all purchases in the trunk or covering them up if they must be put in a visible spot.

``If they can't be concealed, they should just be taken home before you go shopping somewhere else,'' said Morrow.

Morrow also suggests people be aware of their surroundings and be aware of people around them.