It’s important to protect your home during the holiday season when visiting family and friends — whether you’re visiting neighbors down the block or hall, or hopping on a plane to see loved ones in another state.
Make Your Home Look Lived-In
While you’re away, make certain that your home looks as lived-in as possible so that it’s not an easy mark for criminals.
“Consider investing in timers so that your indoor lights go on and off at intermittent times to give the appearance that you’re at home,” says Michelle Boykins, communications and marketing director at the National Crime Prevention Council in Arlington, Virginia. “Have a timer that turns your radio and TV on and off. And if you have holiday lights outside, have them on a timer.”
Boykins advises against putting boxes near the trash that advertise that you just received a computer or other expensive items as holiday gifts. “Keep those boxes in your garage until trash day,” she says. “Otherwise, you are advertising to criminals that you just got a computer or a big flat-screen TV.”
“You can ask your neighbors to look out for any unusual activity while you are gone, and ask them to pick up any packages that are delivered,” Boykins says. “It’s much easier if you already know your neighbors to ask them for something like that.”
Practice Safety Through Social Media
It’s important to protect your online privacy so that when you go out of town, criminals won’t know that you’ve vacated the premises and try to break into your home or unit.
Do not put your location on Facebook, says social media expert Jay Rodriguez, owner of JayRodChicago, a social media company. “Criminals can read your address, and see your status update, see that you’re away on a trip, and you can be the prime target of a crime,” he notes.
Even if you don’t put your address on your Facebook profile, Rodriguez strongly suggests that you don’t advertise when you’re going out of town, and don’t post updates while you’re out of town. “Talk about your vacation when you get back, but don’t tell people when you are going on vacation or are away,” he says.
Protect your home during the holidays
By Karen Schwartz
It’s important to protect your home during the holiday season when visiting family and friends — whether you’re visiting neighbors down the block or hall, or hopping on a plane to see loved ones in another state.
Make Your Home Look Lived-In
While you’re away, make certain that your home looks as lived-in as possible so that it’s not an easy mark for criminals.
“Consider investing in timers so that your indoor lights go on and off at intermittent times to give the appearance that you’re at home,” says Michelle Boykins, communications and marketing director at the National Crime Prevention Council in Arlington, Virginia. “Have a timer that turns your radio and TV on and off. And if you have holiday lights outside, have them on a timer.”
Boykins advises against putting boxes near the trash that advertise that you just received a computer or other expensive items as holiday gifts. “Keep those boxes in your garage until trash day,” she says. “Otherwise, you are advertising to criminals that you just got a computer or a big flat-screen TV.”
Know Your Neighbors
Getting to know your neighbors is important, Boykins says. They are the ones who will most likely recognize if something suspicious is taking place around your property (learn how to start a neighborhood or building watch program).
“You can ask your neighbors to look out for any unusual activity while you are gone, and ask them to pick up any packages that are delivered,” Boykins says. “It’s much easier if you already know your neighbors to ask them for something like that.”
Practice Safety Through Social Media
It’s important to protect your online privacy so that when you go out of town, criminals won’t know that you’ve vacated the premises and try to break into your home or unit.
Do not put your location on Facebook, says social media expert Jay Rodriguez, owner of JayRodChicago, a social media company. “Criminals can read your address, and see your status update, see that you’re away on a trip, and you can be the prime target of a crime,” he notes.
Even if you don’t put your address on your Facebook profile, Rodriguez strongly suggests that you don’t advertise when you’re going out of town, and don’t post updates while you’re out of town. “Talk about your vacation when you get back, but don’t tell people when you are going on vacation or are away,” he says.