Marietta cops to patrol shopping areas

By Andria Simmons

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Marietta Police will employ a variety of tactics to keep shoppers safe this holiday season, from hidden surveillance to increased uniform patrols to educating shoppers about protecting their belongings.

An important part of the department's 2009 Holiday Enforcement Plan includes beefing up police presence in shopping areas and near financial institutions, said Marietta Police spokeswoman Officer Jenny Murphy. Some officers will use a three-wheeled personal mobility vehicle called a T3, similar to a Segway, to patrol city parking lots and business districts.

A new crime prevention program will simultaneously remind  the public this holiday season to  "Lock, Take and Hide." That is, lock their doors, take their keys with them and hide their valuables. Police say that most thefts from vehicles occur when electronic merchandise or purses are left in plain sight and doors are left unlocked.