Preventing crime during family travel starts with making sure your home is protected while you're away. The key is to make it look like you never left. You can do this by using some of the following strategies:
- Keep shades and blinds in their normal positions.
- Stop mail and newspapers, or ask a neighbor to pick them up every day.
- Leave a radio on - or put it on a timer.
- Put several household lights on timers so they turn on and off at appropriate times.
- Arrange to have grass mowed (or snow shoveled) while you're gone.
- Make sure all your door and window locks are in working order - and use them.
- Activate your home alarm (if you have 1).
- Ask a neighbor to park in your driveway overnight - anything that might suggest someone's home. And don't forget to lock all doors and windows when you leave. Also, have neighbors stop by periodically to check on your doors to see that they are secure and walk around the house checking the windows.
- Stop by the station or fill out the Vacation House Check Form to have your house added to our vacation house check program. While you are gone officers will periodically stop by and check on your property for you.