Staying Safe This Holiday Season

December 2, 2025

by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist

The holidays should be a time of security, cozy and safe with family and friends as you celebrate. But the weeks when people are distracted by festivities can be a perfect time for scammers to strike, and disruptions in the usual household schedule can open you up to safety risks. Keep these tips in mind to stay safe this holiday season.

Shopping safety: If you’re hitting the malls this holiday shopping season, be smart about your safety. A full parking lot with cars loaded with purchases can be easy pickings for a criminal. Remember to park in a well lit area, and be aware of your surroundings. If you’re on your phone or fumbling for your keys it is easier for someone to snatch your purse or wallet. Lock your car doors, and don’t leave anything in plain sight. If you make a trip back to the car, put purchases in the trunk.

If you’re shopping online, be wary of scammers. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t click on ads that are emailed to you or that pop up in your social media feed. Instead, stick to trusted retailers and go directly to their authentic site. You may crave that one-of-a-kind hand crafted gift, but if they only accept a payment app like Venmo or Zelle you might want to pass. While credit cards offer some recourse if the item never arrives or is faulty, when you send money with a payment app it is usually gone forever. Debit cards also offer less fraud protection than credit cards.

Home Safety: You may be traveling away from home over the holidays, so make sure your house is secure in your absence. Place your mail on hold, or have a trusted neighbor bring in letters, bills, and packages. You can also have packages sent to delivery lockers instead of your home to thwart porch pirates. Install motion detecting lights outside, and use a timer on inside lights to make it look like someone is home.

Don’t advertise your travels on social media, and don’t share photos of expensive gifts you may have received. Your lit-up tree may look lovely to your strolling neighbors, but it’s smart to close your curtains at night so thieves can’t scope out your presents. Be careful about throwing out boxes that show what you got too – it can tell thieves exactly which houses to target for the best haul.

You might be in and out of the house a lot, and guests might not have their own keys, but don’t be tempted to leave the door unlocked. Burglars are alert for carelessness. And remember that with temporary household members come new dangers. Your home might not have been designed with children and pets in mind, so make sure houseplants aren’t toxic, breakables aren’t within reach, heavy furniture can’t be pulled over, electrical outlets are covered, and cupboards with chemicals and other hazards are secure.

Fire safety: The number of house fires goes up significantly over the holidays. You’re cooking more, and you’re often distracted, making it more likely that you leave a dish towel near the range or forget to turn a burner off. To reduce the risk, stay in the kitchen while cooking or appoint someone to keep watch if you leave the kitchen. Every kid likes to lick the bowl and sneak snacks, but keep children and pets out of the kitchen.

Even in Florida it may get chilly, and you might use your fireplace or gather around an outdoor firepit. Or you may set the holiday mood with scented candles. Make sure any open flames are far from anything flammable. Battery powered candles are a safer option for setting a candlelit mood, and an electric fireplace gives a cozy ambiance without the danger of open flames. If you use a space heater, never leave it unattended or use it while sleeping.

A lot of decorations use electricity, and since they are only used once a year and often stored in a garage or shed they can harbor unnoticed damage. Check for frayed wires and loose connections. Don’t overload outlets, and don’t connect multiple extension cords to each other. Turn off holiday lights when you leave the house or go to sleep. Make sure artificial trees are labeled as fire resistant, and keep a live tree fresh with regular watering.

Driving safety: If you’re planning a road trip this holiday season, try to miss the peak driving days. For this Christmas, Sunday, December 21^st is forecast to be the busiest driving day, with the weekend after Christmas also having extremely crowded roads. Afternoons are much worse than mornings, so make sure you get an early start. Plan your route, don’t drive drowsy, and don’t be distracted by passengers or by your phone. If you travel to a state with ice or snow, make sure you’re prepared for those driving conditions.

Drinking is a part of many people’s holiday festivities, but if you are drinking, don’t drive. Plan your ride ahead of time – you can designate a sober driver, or use a rideshare. Make sure your guests have a safe ride too, or let them stay overnight.

Over the holidays and throughout the year, follow the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office on social media to get more tips on how to keep yourself, your family, and your finances safe.

Ride and Run With The Stars Helps Kids in Need

by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist

The holiday season should be a time of joy and wonder for every child, but for far too many kids in Pinellas County, the table that should have a holiday feast is empty, and the space under the tree is bare. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) wants to do something about that, and you can help by taking part in Ride And Run With The Stars, the largest local law enforcement fundraiser to help disadvantaged children and their families.

The event is at Fort De Soto Park’s North Beach on Saturday, December 6 ^th . Online registration is now closed, but you can register in person on the morning of the event. You can also register on December 2 ^nd and 3 ^rd from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Sheriff’s Administration Building, 10750 Ulmerton Road in Largo. On the day of the event, check-in opens at 8:00 a.m. Those who register receive a long sleeve race shirt and a medal commemorating their participation, plus a lunch from any one of the attending food trucks.

Ride And Run With The Stars has events for all levels of skill, from competitive runners and bikers to people who want a fun beachside stroll with the family for a good cause. There’s a 5K chipped race with medals for men’s and women’s top finishers in different age categories. A 25-mile bike ride will challenge serious bicyclists. For a more easy-going way to participate, try the 10K family fun ride or the 1-mile family fun walk.

You don’t have to be an athlete to enjoy Ride And Run With The Stars. Of course the beautiful beaches of Fort De Soto are a lure even if you just go to cheer for a friend or family member as they compete. There will be a variety of interesting local food trucks with tasty treats. If you’ve ever wanted to climb inside an armored vehicle you’ll have your chance, and K-9 will give an exciting demonstration at 10:30 a.m. But the highlight of the day has to be when Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive at 11:00 a.m. by helicopter (weather permitting) to meet the children and hear all their Christmas wishes.

You can also support Ride And Run With The Stars through our online auction. Sponsors and local businesses have donated a wide variety of interesting things, from gift cards to resort stays, golf packages, gift baskets, and even a kayak. Take a look at what’s up for auction and bid on some great items and help a worthy cause.

All funds raised go to the Sheriff’s Christmas Sharing Project. Throughout the year, deputies and Victim Advocates identify families who are in need because of economic hardship. Some of the families have been victimized by crime. Families share their Christmas wish list, and between Christmas Sharing Project funds and adoptions, the kids’ dreams come true. Bikes and scooters are popular requests, as well as educational toys for younger children, but parents also ask for necessities like diapers and wipes, and kids’ bedding.

This year for the first time we’ve also invited all the families who are part of the Christmas Sharing Project to a Breakfast with Santa where they can spend some special time with Santa and Mrs. Claus and enjoy a fun-filled morning.

If you’d like to adopt a family in need this holiday season, you can contact Victim Advocate Sandra Garcia-Olivares at 727-582-6465. If you’d like to donate to Ride And Run With The Stars you can contribute on our donor page. We hope to see you this Saturday, December 6^th!