Shortly after buying a 65-inch television, Johnston resident George Tirkoulis worried the world would know of his purchase come trash day. He took a knife to the large box and cut it into small pieces. He then brought the broken down pile to his workplace trash bin.

“You have to be a goober to put your big screen TV box or computer box out in the trash as is,” Tirkoulis said. “Do it in stages instead.”

Holiday trash can especially give criminals, who drive through neighborhoods looking for evidence, a reason to target your house for their next score. Local police chiefs and the National Crime Prevention Council — the nonprofit agency best known for McGruff the Crime Dog — say the Wii Nintendo box or light blue Tiffany bag tell burglars a treasure-trove awaits them inside.

“Many of the crimes are crimes of opportunity, so don’t give them more of an opportunity,” Newport Police Chief Michael G. McKenna said. “Don’t draw attention to yourself and increase your chances.”

Said East Greenwich Deputy Police Chief William Higgins, “The last thing you want to do is advertise what you got.”

McKenna said Tirkoulis did the right thing by breaking up the box into smaller pieces. He said you could also turn the boxes inside out so only the brown cardboard is displayed. In addition, McKenna suggests residents remind their children to be selective about whom they bring over. A friend of a friend of a friend may decide to come back on a later date and steal whatever they liked from their last visit.

Cumberland Deputy Police Chief Michael Kinch said trash peepers tend to go out early when there is less foot traffic, so bringing out your trash an hour or so before normal pickup is better than leaving it out overnight.

Yet he, McKenna and Barrington Police Chief John M. LaCross said petty thefts are the bigger problems in their communities. Kinch said car break-ins rather than house burglaries have less severe penalties if caught. And this time of year, Kinch said the payoff can be great for thieves if they can get in the trunk where gifts are sometimes stored before Christmas. Out-of-town relatives may also have a lot in the car to travel more comfortably.

LaCross suggests bringing everything in rather than covering items with a blanket in the car.

“That’s our biggest thing,” LaCross said. “Lock the doors and turn on your car alarm if you have one. And have a motion, light sensor put in to deter criminals. It all helps.”

The Crime Prevention Council also suggests:

•Locking windows and garage doors. The council said more than 60 percent of all burglaries take place without forced entry.

•Avoid displaying expensive gifts and other valuables in areas visible from the outside.

•Ask a trusted neighbor to watch your house while you are away, and be sure your mail and newspapers are picked up to keep the place looking lived in.

•Be alert and report suspicious activity to the police immediately.

apina@projo.com