Since last month, the Jerez National Police Station has been intensifying the Safe Trade plan as part of the Christmas and Three Kings 20-21 campaign, providing all trade professionals, whether they are small merchants, self-employed through ATA, city merchant associations, the Chamber of Commerce and security services of large commercial areas, all the information that includes the precise indications to avoid being victims of a robbery, both professionals and clients.

In these days, in which purchases multiply before the arrival of the night of Kings, contacts with professionals in the sector have intensified due to the appearance of repeat offenders, organized gangs, aggressive 'gorrillas' and others who may affect the Christmas campaign.

Adrián Domínguez, spokesman for the National Police in Jerez, offers both merchants and customers advice and instructions to follow to prevent theft and robbery: "We continue to implement the Safe Trade plan, trying to transmit effective security advice to both professionals as well as clients. With regard to merchants, from 091 we transmit that if they arrive at your premises and see the forced door, that they do not enter and call 091, that a patrol will immediately come and check the inside your business If you see some type of criminal inside your premises, something more common on these dates such as organized gangs that are dedicated to thefts, pickpockets or people who try to place counterfeit bills, who also do not hesitate to call 091, a patrol will come immediately. Avoid handling any object that the criminals have touched, the agents will go to the scene to solve the situation".

Similarly, "in the case of consumers and also of the merchants themselves, if they observe individuals around the commercial areas who may be hanging around the parked vehicles or aggressive goons, who return from their begging activity to attitudes of threats or coercion, that they also call 091 for a patrol to appear".

Do not leave objects in sight inside the cars

With regard to consumers, "we recommend never leaving valuables in the passenger compartment of vehicles, nor even leaving objects that have no value that could lead the offender to make a mistake and be enough for him to break a window to get hold of those objects that they believe may have some value".

Watch out for counterfeit bills

Regarding the means of payment, "professionals are well aware that they have to check the veracity of the bills with which consumers pay. They continue trying to introduce into the circuit counterfeit bills on these dates. Keeping the POS updated is very important and in any case, do not carry out any operation if you have any kind of doubt".

Internet security

Regarding electronic commerce, it is recommended to "keep the web page and the server being used updated, hire payment methods and gateways with recognized banking entities that offer us security for the client the same as for the business itself and always treat the personal data of clients in accordance with the current Data Protection Law".

Beware of pickpockets

It is important "that customers know that criminals who engage in pickpocketing-type thefts always operate where there are crowds. In these cases, at Christmas parties, in environments and areas of commercial areas, in narrow streets in the center of our city and also in large commercial areas, especially when going to a store and the victim is interested in a shelf or accumulates clothes in their hands to go to the changing room, it is the preferred moment for pickpockets to open handbags or try to steal wallets and valuables from the pockets of the victims. Immediately afterwards they take the money and throw the wallet."