Holiday shopping safety tips and how to prevent being targeted by thieves

HANFORD, Calif. (KFSN) -- The holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year for Hanford police.

On Friday afternoon, they responded to this dramatic scene where a group of good Samaritans were trying to rescue a man who had suffered a medical emergency while driving.

While they do see calls like this one around the holiday season, it's calls for thefts that spike this time of year.

"We've had a lot of those stories- kids' birthdays and the holidays, and they've saved up for the holidays specifically," said Hanford Police Sgt. Jason Gustin.

"Especially right now, times are a little tight for a lot of people, so saving that money and using that savings, that hard-earned money and that stuff is gone, and a lot of times they don't have the money budgeted to replace it, so it's very unfortunate."

While there's no sure way to stop becoming one of those victims, there are actions you can take to prevent it.

Police say Don't leave anything in your vehicle, especially electronics, in plain sight.

If you are going to multiple stores, it's not a bad idea to go home and unload between your stops.

It's also best to Shop in pairs- and pay attention to what's going on around you.

"Being aware of your surroundings if you see something that doesn't feel right, making eye contact with people, and acknowledging someone is usually enough to deter a lot of these things," mentioned Sgt. Gustin.

If you're a small business owner, police say investing in security cameras can help discourage or even catch thieves after they're gone.

"Video surveillance has a very huge case solver for us so we get video surveillance of someone and if we don't catch them in the act we can at least identify who they are and then find them later and hold them accountable for those thefts," explained Gustin.

Accountability that could land them behind bars.

"Everything's a case-by-case basis, as far as that goes. And you know I've seen people go to prison for it, and then I've seen people go through probation for it," said Christopher Martin with the Kings County Sheriff's Department.

For news updates, follow Kassandra Gutierrez on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.