A Westchester supermarket is working to make sure personal property stays protected.

Workers at the Stop & Shop on Vredenburgh Avenue in Yonkers have begun a program to secretly tag items that seem to be unsecure with a sticker that tells owners to keep an eye on their belongings.

The purse patrol is a joint effort between Stop & Shop, People's United Bank and Yonkers police to help Westchester shoppers protect their personal belongings in public places.

Besides purses, officials at Stop & Shop say they have also seen customers leave their cellphones in the cart and walk away for a second, which may be all it takes for a would-be thief to swipe their property.

All of the tagged shoppers received a $5 gift card for being good sports.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, 19 people become victims of identity theft every minute.

The FTC says people can expect to spend $500 to resolve the crime.