10/20/2026
Those cute stick-figure family decals on the back of vehicles may seem fun and harmless, but have you ever considered how much personal information they could unintentionally reveal to strangers?
The Bridgeton Police Department wants to remind residents that protecting your family starts with being mindful of the information you make publicly available.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐
๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ?
How many adults and children are in your household.
The presence of young children and possibly their ages or interests.
How many pets you own and potentially what type.
Hobbies, occupations, and activities that may suggest certain routines.
Details about your family structure that, when combined with other publicly available information, could reveal more than you intended.
๐๐๐ค๐ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ซ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ. ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ?
At first glance, we can make several observations:
The family appears to consist of two adults, one child, and one dog.
Dad enjoys golf, which could suggest he spends time away from home participating in that activity.
Mom is pictured with a purse, which may suggest an interest in shopping.
There appears to be a young child and a baby in the family. (This information could potentially be used by individuals with harmful intentions to identify families, follow them home, or become familiar with their daily routines.)
The family has one dog (breed or value)
Now imagine combining those details with school decals, sports team stickers, personalized license plates, or information shared on social media.
โ ๏ธ ๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ?
Individuals looking to commit crimes may use publicly available information to identify potential opportunities. While a family decal alone doesn't necessarily make you a target, sharing unnecessary personal details can contribute to a larger picture of your household.
๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐๐ฒ:
โ
Limit personal information displayed on your vehicle.
โ
Avoid decals that identify your children's names, schools, or activities.
โ
Consider generic designs rather than stickers that reveal specific family details.
โ
Be mindful of how information displayed on your vehicle could be combined with information available online.
๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง!
This isn't about creating fear. It's about encouraging awareness and making small decisions that help protect you and your loved ones.
Sometimes, the information we don't share is just as important as the precautions we take.
The Bridgeton Police Department encourages everyone to take a moment and look at the decals on their vehicles. Are you sharing more than you realize?
