Holiday Crime Prevention
As history has proven, the holiday season tends to have a rise in crime.
I cut and pasted a few tips from the web – some I never heard of before.
Traveling?
1. Ask a neighbor to watch the house while you’re away. Leave your vacation address and phone number with them.
2. Stop all deliveries, or arrange for a neighbor to pick up your mail, newspapers and packages.
3. Do a mail stop, which can be done with less than 24 hours notice. Click the following link for more information
https://holdmail. usps.com/ duns/HoldMail. jsp
4. Consider forwarding your home phone to your cell phone. Professionals will call hoping you won’t answer.
5. Turn the bell or ringer on your telephone down low. If a burglar is around, he won’t be alerted to your absence by a ringing phone.
6. Plug in timers to turn lights, a radio or television on and off at appropriate times. This helps to disguise the fact that you are away.
7. Don’t announce your absence on answering machine messages.
8. Leave your blinds, shades, and curtains in a normal position. Don’t close them unless that is what you do when you are home.
9. Check garage doors and windows. Make sure they are locked.
10. Gather valuables – jewelry-etc and hide in an inconspicuous place.
11. Ask a neighbor to occasionally park in your driveway. If you leave your car at home, park it as you normally would.
12. Tell your security company what dates you plan to be away. They can put a note on your account should you have an alarm.
