Before you leave home for your family vacation, make a burglary prevention plan as well. Preventing crime during family travel starts with making sure your home is secure while you are away.

Thieves look for homes that are unoccupied. The key to keeping burglars from selecting your home as their next target is making it look like you never left:

  • Newspapers piled on your steps are an invitation to thieves. Stop mail and newspapers, and ask a trusted neighbor to pick up any deliveries that might be made while you are gone.
  • Connect some lamps and radio/TV in various parts of your home to automatic timers, so they turn on and off at appropriate times.
  • Arrange to have your lawn mowed (or sidewalk shoveled) while you are gone.
  • Don’t leave keys in obvious places like in the mail box or under a flower pot or door mat. Leave your house key with a trusted neighbor.
  • Most police departments don’t have enough police officers to watch everyone’s home while they are on vacation. Instead, have a neighbor keep an eye on your house or apartment, and report unusual activity to the police.
  • Have a neighbor park their car in your driveway overnight.
  • Don’t leave notes indicating your absence. And don’t publicize the fact you are going on vacation ahead of time.
  • Consider unplugging your electric garage door opener while you are gone. This will prevent your garage door from opening “by accident” while you are away.
  • Make sure all your door and window locks are in working order - and use them.
  • Turn off or turn down your telephone ringer. A phone ringing and ringing is a clue to a would-be burglar that no one is home. This is especially important if you are living in an apartment building where burglars may be more likely to hear your phone ringing. Use call-forwarding to forward in-coming calls to another number that will be answered in your absence.
  • Consider turning off your main water valve before you leave. That way, if a pipe bursts while you are gone, you won’t come home to an indoor swimming pool in your basement.

You’ll enjoy your vacation much more if you know you’re home or apartment is secure while you are away.

Sgt. Mark Buschena is a veteran police officer with 29 years experience. He is the author of “The Naked Truth About Personal Protection!” How to protect your life, family and property. Simple ways to protect yourself from thieves, muggers, rapists, robbers, burglars, con-artists, pick-pockets and other scum-of-the-earth! Get your copy at http://www.defendyourselfnow.com

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