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By Emily Reed | Special to the Reporter

ALABASTER – With more shoppers out during this holiday season, the Alabaster Police Department has increased their presence at the Propst Promenade and the South Promenade to ensure the safety of everyone.

“We want everyone to shop in Alabaster, especially this holiday season” read an official APD Facebook post.

The department has increased the police presence by 300-percent.

Uniformed officers will be conducting roaming patrols and foot patrols to ease shoppers’ minds and deter criminal activity.

The uniformed officers will be on foot inside and outside of the businesses.

The increased patrol is nothing new to the APD, who regularly increases patrolling at high-volume areas where people shop during the holidays.

“We will also have non-uniformed officers working during the holidays,” the APD said. “These non-uniformed officers will be diligently working to curb any criminal activity inside the businesses and in the parking lots. These officers will also be conducting roaming and foot patrols.”

While the APD ensures the public that criminal activity in Alabaster is rare, there is always an increase of criminal activity during the Christmas holidays as more people are out.

The APD encourages shoppers to protect themselves by locking vehicles when in a store, and placing gifts or valuables out of sight.

Shoppers are also encouraged to be aware of their surroundings, reduce distractions such as being on a cell phone when walking to a car and always parking in well-lit areas or try to shop in pairs. When carrying around cash, shoppers are encouraged to carry small amounts, and when shopping with children, make sure the children know what to do if they are separated from their parents for any reason.

“We will be taking an active stance to proactively prevent and address any issues at the Promenade to make shopping a pleasure for our residents and guests,” the APD said.