Police: Don’t advertise your holiday gifts to burglars

While some Christmas decorations are still up, others have already come down. The holiday has passed, but the holiday shopping isn’t stopping.

“Usually the day, several days after Christmas, are considered some of the busiest holidays or shopping days of the year. People are returning gifts, you know. They are buying gifts using gift cards,” Salinas Police Cmdr. Vincent Maiorana said.

The National Retail Federation expects online and in-store sales to continue. And Salinas police are warning residents not to leave those boxes out in the open.

“For example, if you have a brand new television that you got, and it’s this big large box that says this new beautiful television was inside this box, somebody who’s driving by your house are going to know that you have this brand new television,” Maiorana said.

And a few simple steps can save a whole lot of trouble.

“You can break down the boxes, and make them flat, put them in a recycle bin or even go to your recycling center,” Maiorana said.

The Monterey Regional Waste Management District is providing collection bins for post-holiday recycling until Jan. 31.

Hours:

Disposal and Materials Recovery Facility: Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Last Chance Mercantile: Tues.-Sat. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility: Tues.-Sat. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

CRV Beverage Container Buy Back Center: Tues.-Fri. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Closed on New Years Day.