People’s United Bank, located inside the Sand Hill Plaza’s Stop & Shop, at 228 South Main Street, hosted its Purse Patrol program on October 25, from 10 am to noon.

The bank teamed up with Stop & Shop and the Newtown Police Department to help protect customers from being vulnerable to purse snatchings, which can lead to identity theft.

People’s United Bank Branch Manager/Vice President Roger Ames said that the program encourages people to be “more aware of their surroundings” and protective of their belongings.

Angela DeLeon, who runs the Master’s Program at People’s United Bank, was onsite walking through the store — with her shopping cart and purse — to speak with patrons who were demonstrating potential risky behavior.

Within the first ten minutes, Ms DeLeon spotted a shopper down an aisle who, while perusing the product shelves, left her purse unattended in the seat of the cart. The purse was out of her line of vision and not in close reach, increasing the possibility of it being targeted and stolen.

In situations like this, Ms DeLeon had stickers on hand to pass out that read, “Keep an eye on your purse,” as a reminder for people to always be mindful while shopping.

Ms DeLeon did find many people displaying proper purse placement that morning, including one woman with a cross-body bag. While unloading her cart of groceries at the checkout line, the purse’s diagonal strap allowed her to be mobile and have her purse on her at all times.

For the Purse Patrol program, Newtown Police Officer Maryhelen McCarthy was also onsite surveying the store with Ms DeLeon and lent assistance educating the public.

Officer McCarthy said areas like the deli department may pose a higher risk for belongings to be taken, because it causes the person to shift their attention to ordering at the counter and not their shopping cart.

She also advised that once a customer is out of the supermarket — or any store — to not place bags on the front seats of the car, where they are more visible. Instead, Officer McCarthy recommended putting items in the trunk of a car or under a blanket to conceal them.

With the holidays coming, it is especially vital to be aware of personal belongings and follow these Purse Patrol tips to help prevent theft.