It’s a season of giving — and taking.

The number of thefts and burglaries always spike around Christmas, and law enforcement officials say if that holds true, 2012 totals in Longview could easily top numbers from a year earlier, ending a three-year decline.

Through October, the Longview Police Department already had responded to more than 750 burglaries this year; the total in 2011 was 825.

Police are encouraging businesses and residents to pay attention to ways in order to avoid becoming a statistic this holiday season.

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