Local Police Departments Upping Patrols to Ensure Holiday Shoppi - kcentv.com - KCEN HD - Waco, Temple, and Killeen

(KCEN) -- If you shopped this past weekend, you know the malls can be a battlefield.

Thousands of central Texans are out there knocking out those Christmas lists and that can get a little dangerous.

Local police know that and many central Texas police departments are ready to ensure holiday shopping safety.

The Temple Police are actually setting up a mobile response unit at the Temple Mall because people are often walking out with hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise.

And that could open up the door to getting robbed.

Police are really taking shopper safety seriously.

They were at the mall this whole shopping weekend and will pick it up again on Wednesday through Christmas.

Those patrols will be motoring the mall as well as surrounding areas on foot, on bikes and in their patrol cars.

But the mobile operations unit is helpful because it gives them many of the resources they would have at the station. It lets thieves know that they're watching and hopefully gives shoppers some peace of mind.

Christopher Wilcox with the Temple Police Department said, "Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy and a time of fun. It's not a time you should worry about being a victim of a crime and that's our hope in deploying these extra officers."

Temple Mall General Manager Trish Lee said, "It makes your customers feel safer. It puts them right in the middle of all the holiday shopping so they're accessible if you need them."

The department also has some tips for shoppers.

Keep your kids in view at all times. When you're walking to your car and be aware of your surroundings. Keep any previous purchases out of sight in your car to avoid break ins.

And maybe one of the smallest but important thing, just spread that holiday cheer.

Be courteous towards other drivers and be patient.

Temple police aren't the only ones upping patrols.

Waco and Killeen police are also focusing their patrol units in shopping areas.