EAST LANSING, Mich. — What people got for Christmas is between them and Santa, but some thieves can't wait to get their hands on what was under the tree.
Leaving the unwrapped boxes your gifts came in out on the curb makes your house a potential target.
One thing homeowners can do is drop off their boxes at their local recycling center.
There's a recycling center at MSU's campus in East Lansing, as well as one in Lansing and Jackson.
"We got some big boxes last year, but not too many this year. I just take a utility knife, but them in a plastic bin and drive them over here to the recycling center," said Tom Viol, a homeowner. "It's just as easy to drive them here as it is to get rid of them any other way."
People can also wait a while before putting the boxes in front of their home for recycling.
"Maybe put the boxes out a few weeks later after the holidays. That way, it doesn't give the ambiance of, 'I just got this 70'' TV and now it's in my house and please come to my house and see these items'," said Sgt. Chad Pride, Patrol Supervisor at the East Lansing Police Department.
Homeowners can also store the boxes in their garage until Garbage Day. It's a simple way to keep presents, especially high-ticket items safe from the Grinch.
Homeowners can make an inventory of their items and write down any information, such as serial numbers, that would be helpful in tracking them if they're stolen.
