Fort Valley police are beefing up patrols during holiday season

Fort Valley police are beefing up patrols during the holiday season.

The agency is placing additional police officers, including detectives and top administrators on busy streets, commercial parking lots and in high-traffic, retail zones, according to a Fort Valley Department of Public Safety news release.

The holiday crime suspension detail is aimed at potential thieves who target autos, shoppers, retailers and homes, according to the release.

"This is our way of protecting local residents and businesses from criminals with foul intentions during the holiday season," Fort Valley police Capt. Jeff Lundy, patrol division commander, said in the release. "It's not uncommon to see a rise in crimes of opportunity this time of year.

"With high visibility, we hope to make sure those opportunities are few in number and accompanied by serious consequences," he said.

Patrol officers can expect some overtime for the effort, according to the release.

Some officers will patrol on four-wheelers, while detectives will be in plain clothes.

Shoppers are asked to help to support the effort by taking personal precautions such as shopping in groups, parking in well-lit areas, securing packages in trunks and reporting suspicious activities immediately to police.

Also, police ask shoppers to be aware of their surroundings at all times, lock their cars and hide all valuables.

Fort Valley residents who plan to be out of town for the holiday are asked to call the police department at 478-825-3383 and be placed on a house-watch list. Officers routinely drive-by homes on the list to check on them.

The patrols are expected to intensify as the holidays draw closer, the release stated.

This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 3:09 PM with the headline "Fort Valley police are beefing up patrols during holiday season ."