From one aisle to another, every holiday shopper has the next bargain in their sights, which is exactly what Officer Tim Abele of the Lincoln Police Department says could put you in a criminal's sights.

"You're looking for that really good bargain, and you're going down that shopping aisle, and you'll have your shopping cart, and you'll just kind of leave it off to an angle, and you'll walk away from it, just turning your back from your cart for that split second, if somebody's watching, they could come by, take that purse out of the cart, and then move on down the aisle," Abele said.

So Abele recommends shopping with a buddy, and making sure one of you is always watching the cart. But purse snatching isn't the only crime popular this time of year, larceny from automobiles is an easy way for a thief to score. Though Abele says the numbers are decreasing from years past*, it's still up to you to hide those presents and avoid giving anyone a reason to break in.

"If they come by and, again, there's nothing in the car, they're probably going to just move on," said Abele. "Lately though, a lot of times what the bad guys have been doing is they've just been trying door handles. And if the door handle is open... they're just going to go ahead, open the door, and go inside."

But not all crimes can be prevented, so there are some things you can do that will help police get your items back if they are taken.

"If your presents are stolen, hopefully you've retained the receipts, so that you can tell us exactly what type of items were taken, and if you have any serial numbers... those are very handy for us in our investigation, so if somebody decides to pawn the item, that is a way we can then track that item.

But Abele says none of that is even possible if you don't take the time to file a police report.

Overall, Officer Abele says it's important to break the tendency towards tunnel vision, especially when you're in a hurry, and pay attention to your surroundings - whether you're walking to your car alone at night or just strolling the aisles.

You can listen to much more on holiday crime from Abele in extended interviews, by clicking on the video links above.

*See chart on left.