ALTAMONTE, Fla. – Standing deep in one of the many rows of the Altamonte Mall parking lot, Officer Michael Cornell pulls out his pad and begins to write.
He checks off "purse" and "radar detector" on a checklist on the notice and leaves it on a windshield held down by the windshield wiper.
Some shoppers assume Cornell is writing a ticket. Rather, Cornell is writing a reminder.
"We do what a bad guy does, we look in your car, but instead of taking your stuff, we advise you of your error [with a note]," Cornell said. "People leaving windows down, purses in plain view, backpacks."
Cornell and the other bicycle officers at the Altamonte Springs Police Department started leaving the notices on cars just in the past few days, just as holiday shoppers start to swarm the mall. Altamonte Springs police call it "Project Safe Car."
Cornell patrols the mall parking lot as well as uptown Altamonte on his bicycle, on foot, and in his patrol car, knowing that criminals are also keeping a close eye on mall parking lots this time of year.
"People get distracted, people get busy, people just don't think about things," Cornell said.
Cornell showed News 6 a Honda Accord that was left with an open window, unlocked doors, and shopping bags, luggage, shoes, even a purse in the back seat.
Cornell said a car like that would be an easy target for criminals.
"A quick punch to the window and they're in and out in 30 seconds," Cornell said. "Or maybe checking the door handle, seeing if the door is unlocked."
Cornell warned that leaving behind valuables puts other shoppers at risk because criminals are drawn to the parking lot.
"If they know they can get one and it's an easy target, they will do it again," Cornell said.
Wednesday afternoon, officers on patrol were called to the J.C. Penney's for a report of four suspected shoplifters. Police said the young women had walked into and out of the mall several times without merchandise and moved their car to different spots several times.
Police pulled over the car for an expired tag as it left the mall and discovered the young female driver did not have her license, had no insurance, and the smell of marijuana wafted from the vehicle.
After verifying the driver's information, Officer Cornell gave the driver two tickets.
"Now we have potential suspects where we can do a photo lineup to show them who they are," Cornell said.
Altamonte Springs police said during the past few days, four young women have shoplifted from two stores in the area.
"We're out here," said Ofc. Evelyn Estevez, Altamonte Springs Police Dept. public information officer. "The presence is going to be here. We're not going to allow that type of activity in our city. We want to make sure visitors feel safe and are being protected."
Estevez said every time the police department implements Project Safe Car, car break-ins decrease, as they have again this year.