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Crime Watch: 5 Tips to Keeping Your Home Safe During the Holidays

The Holidays are among us, with lots of parties, eating, presents and going to see to your Great Aunt Shirley for Christmas. This time of year the burglars are on high alert for empty houses or your new toys from Santa. Here are a 5 tips to keeping your home safe this Holiday Season (and really any other time of the year):


1. Light Timers: You should put at least one timer in every room to go off at different times of the day and night. This will make it look like you’re home at all times, even if there isn’t a car in the driveway. Make sure to keep those holiday light decorations on timers too. Also, install a timer for your porch light. A dark porch invites trouble.

Light Timers for indoor use: Amazon.com Wall Timers for Outdoor use: Amazon.com


2. Mail, Newspapers and Leaflets: Nothing says “I’m not home,” when the newspapers are piling up in the driveway. Either halt your newspaper for the time you’ll be gone or ask a neighbor to pick up the paper, mail and door hangers. Neighbors – if you know your neighbor is out of town and you see the growing pile, be neighborly and pick up the papers and hide them on their porch or in the back yard.


3. Garbage Cans: Make sure to have a neighbor or house-sitter take the garbage cans from the street after trash/recycle pickup.


4. Lock Up and Set The Alarm: This seems so obvious, but hey, it’s easy to forget. If you keep a window unlocked to allow the cat easy access, or never bother to turn the deadbolt on the kitchen door, now’s the time to clean up your act. Lock all doors and windows and set the alarm.


5. New Toys: You were so good this year, Santa brought you a new 65″ Curved 4K Ultra HD TV. As you gather up all the boxes and trash on Christmas morning, think twice about putting boxes on the curb for recycle pickup. The new TV box, new iMac box and all those high-end, expensive toy boxes laying on the curb are announcing not only where we’d like to watch football, but it gives the burglars a one-up and know exactly what houses to hit while you’re at work or on vacation.


Suggestions: 1. Turn the box inside out and put at the bottom of the stack on the curb 2. Cut the boxes down and wedge into the recycle can 3. Keep the boxes 4. Take the boxes to a recycle center

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