Crime Prevention Tip: Safety when traveling

Tourist season is in full swing in the Florida Keys. While you and your family are traveling, it’s important to remember tourists make tempting targets for thieves. Often lost or distracted, weighed down with bags, and carrying cameras, plane tickets, money, and other valuables, unsuspecting travelers can attract crime like a magnet.

Here are a few tips to help you stay safe:

  • Don’t display expensive jewelry, cameras, bags, and other items that might draw attention.
  • Check maps before you go out so you can move around confidently.
  • Stick to well-lighted, well-traveled streets – don’t take shortcuts.
  • Always lock your car when it’s parked, even if the stop is going to be brief. Always keep valuables out of sight, preferably locked in the trunk. Don’t advertise you’re a tourist by leaving maps or guidebooks on the seat or dashboard – keep them in the glove compartment or underneath the seat.
  • Traveling safely with your family also means sticking together and keeping an eye on your children at all times. Make sure they know where you’re staying (name and address), and teach them what to do if they get lost or separated. You might want to agree on a meeting place, just in case. And by all means, make sure your kids know not to accept rides, gifts or favors from strangers.

Make your family vacation a memorable one for all the right reasons. Stay safe and enjoy the Florida Keys.

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