Fayetteville Police: Curbside boxes become billboards for burglars

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina (WTVD) -- The Fayetteville Police Department is asking residents to "Be Wise, Don't Advertise."

With break-ins on the rise during the holiday season, officers are reminding residents to break down their boxes.

On Tuesday, ABC11 went on a dumpster dive to make sure everyone got the memo. We found TV, hoverboard and appliance boxes all left at the curb. While many of us are eager to clear the clutter after unwrapping the gifts, police said you should break the boxes from your big-ticket items down.

Leaving them in plain sight creates a shopping list for criminals looking to break-in.

"Criminals take calculated risks. They don't want to break in somewhere that they know they're not going to get anything," said Sgt. Shawn Strepay.

Police are encouraging everyone to break down boxes and place them inside dark trash bags before placing them at the curb on pickup day.

Additionally, you may consider re-purposing the boxes to keep from throwing them out.