The holiday shopping season kicks off tonight and it won't slow down until January.
The accumulation of shopping bags and gifts can be a lot of temptation to criminals, according to police.
"There are always problems with thefts, but they can increase this time of year with more shopping going on" said Shawn Vaughn, spokesman for Texarkana, Texas, Police Department.
TTPD will have extra patrol officers in busy commercial areas through the holiday, Vaughn said.
In Texarkana, Arkansas, Walmart contracts with officers for extra security, according to TAPD.
Vehicle burglaries are an easy way for thieves to grab a shopper's Christmas presents, Vaughn said.
"It can be a lot of temptation if a thief sees a lot of packages in a vehicle. The best way to prevent these is to lock your vehicle, hide your belongings out of sight and do not leave your keys in the car," Vaughn said.
Many shoppers make several trips to a vehicle to free up their hands for more shopping and that makes it easy to forget and leave the vehicle unlocked, Vaughn said.
Police also offer the following tips for safe shopping:
Keep your purse close to your body or your wallet in an inside coat pocket or front pants pocket.
Don't take your money out until asked to do so.
Use only one credit card. Save your receipts and monitor your credit card activity.
If shopping with children, select a central location to meet in case you are separated. Teach kids how to ask a security guard or employee for help if they're lost.
For safe online shopping:
Stick to retailers you know and preferably have shopped with before.
Research a business you haven't purchased from before by checking customer reviews or complaints with the Better Business Bureau.
Refrain from using public WiFi to make purchases, or use a VPN to avoid hackers intercepting your information.
Check a webpage's security by looking for the lock icon in the URL field, and making sure the URL starts with "https", not just "http". The "s" means the site is safer and more secure.
When receiving packages in the mail, make arrangements to have them delivered to your workplace or to a family member or neighbor who is home during the day.
"Unfortunately, a number of packages are stolen off porches this time of year," Vaughn said.