Police are beefing up security in an East Bity city that they anticipate will draw scores of weekend shoppers.
The holiday bell ringing at the Livermore-based San Francisco Premium Outlets signifies to visitors that it’s time to shop.
To the city’s police department, however, it represents a need for heightened safety.
"We have trained citizen volunteers that drive in marked police volunteer vehicles," said Traci Reblejo with the Livermore Police Department. "We put them in various shopping centers looking for suspicious activity."
In a time when terror threats are frighteningly common, Reblejo urged shoppers to pay attention to their surroundings, especially in the dark.
Shopper Jenny Lyness agreed.
"In general in this area, I feel pretty safe but it’s still good to keep an eye out," she said.
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But others like Mike Crockett said, "We’re going earlier, we’re going in groups and basically we’re calling stores and if they don’t have what we want we’re not going to go."
