Law enforcement warns against putting Christmas trash on curb

DELAWARE, Ohio (WCMH) – Receiving gifts from loved ones can be one of the best parts of the holiday season, but putting your holiday trash on the curb could have some unintended consequences.

The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning that said people should not advertise what exactly they got from Santa.

Boxes and packaging from the big ticket items you received, like technology and gaming systems, can show criminals that you have items of value inside your home.

“We don’t want to advertise the expensive gifts or any gifts that we just got. Criminals can drive around, they can see that and you’re just making it easier for them to know what’s inside your residence,” said Sgt. Michael Scalley with the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office.

Luckily, there are easy measures people can take to prevent these crimes of opportunity.

Scalley said you should cut up any boxes and packages and place the pieces in a trash bag or can before putting it out on the curb. If the items are too big to put in a bag or bin, Scalley said you can wait until the day of trash pickup to put those boxes on the curb. This way there is less time for potential thieves to see.

Another safe option is dropping off packaging to your local recycling center for disposal.

Scalley said this isn't a common crime in Delaware County, but it’s an important reminder, especially after Christmas.

“We haven’t had any crimes yet aligning with this type but we like to put this out, like I said, to residents so they can be proactive in it and then we won’t have this problem,” Scalley said.