By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – With the holiday shopping rush in full-swing and continuing until the end of the year, the police department in Shelby County’s largest city are encouraging residents to be safe when visiting automatic teller machines.

The Alabaster Police Department, which patrols the busy Propst Promenade and South Promenade shopping centers, has issued the following ATM safety tips, and is encouraging locals to share them with their friends, family members and neighbors:

1. Always pay close attention to the ATM and your surroundings. Don’t select an ATM at the corner of a building — corners create a blind spot. Use an ATM located near the center of a building. Do your automated banking in a public, well-lighted location that is free of shrubbery and decorative partitions or dividers.
2. Maintain an awareness of your surroundings throughout the entire transaction. Be wary of people trying to help you with ATM transactions. Be aware of anyone sitting in a parked car nearby. When leaving an ATM, make sure you are not being followed. If you feel you are in danger, call 911.
3. Do not use an ATM that appears unusual looking, tampered with or offers options with which you are not familiar or comfortable.
4. When using a drive-up ATM, keep your engine running, your doors locked and leave enough room to maneuver between your car and the one ahead of you in the drive-up line.
5. Closely monitor your bank statements, as well as your balances and immediately report any problems to your bank.

The APD encouraged anyone with non-emergency concerns to call the department at 663-7401.