from the Cache County Sheriff’s Office
As cooler weather starts to roll in, families begin to celebrate the holidays by planning family gatherings, going on vacation and buying gifts for loved ones. These seasonal activities bring more opportunities and motives for criminals to enter your home while you’re away and steal your valuables and gifts. A good percentage of thefts and break-ins are crimes of opportunity. Doors or windows were unlocked, garages were left open or valuables were left in a vehicle in plain sight. By being proactive, you can avoid many of these situations. Keep the following tips in mind to minimize the chance of someone robbing your residence.
- Put your mail on hold and arrange to have your neighbors pick up your newspapers. Piles of mail and newspapers sends an obvious message that you aren’t home.
- Postpone posting on social media about your vacations or family plans until you arrive back home. Posting about our lives gives thieves a timeline of when you will be gone.
- Leave a light or television on while you are gone to make it appear that someone is home. Newer technology has made this option more affordable.
- Install a security system or motion sensing lights.
- Keep valuables out of plain sight. If the valuables can be seen through your windows they may attract a break in.
- Install smart light bulbs or timers. These can mimic a presence in your home by turning lights on and off.
- Secure your windows and sliding glass doors with a wooden dowel or metal pins/nails to prevent them from being pried open.
