Yuletide crooks on the prowl

Law enforcement officers are reminding people to be careful as they get into the frenzy of shopping for Christmas gifts. Cole County Sheriff John Hemeyer wants people to be more careful about locking their cars. He says shoppers seem to be taken by surprise every year that things will be taken out of their cars, but he notes it does happen–every year. And he says people need to be careful while they are shopping because criminals know people who are loaded down with gifts are easy targets. And Hemeyer says rural homes are attractive to burglars, especially homes that can’t be seen from the road.