New Haven Independent

His name is Joe Avery. He’s the police department’s affable community prevention officer, point man for all the block watches. Avery has printed up cards just in time for the holiday season.

They look like tickets — on purpose. But they’re not tickets. They’re warnings, with safety tips. Starting this week he’ll be putting them on the windshields of cars with piles of packages visible. Avery wants people to know that holiday shopping season is prime time for break-ins. So be careful, lock your car, and try not to make the interior look so inviting for a crook.

Avery started doing this last December. He went to shopping areas around town and was surprised to see so many easy marks in parking areas. On Foxon Road, for instance, he found 57 cars loaded with bags, and half of them unlocked. Avery said he heard lots of positive feedback from people who received his cards.

“It worked so well last year, that we decided to do it again this year,” Avery said. “It’s not a real ticket. It’s a holiday greeting: ‘You have been caught being careless by the New Haven Police Department.’”