Amherst Police Department have released their quick tips to keep your house safe over the holidays.
Some tips are simple things you may not have thought about:
- Keep your vacation plans a secret - Don't post anything to social media. It's hard to keep track of who's reading, and you don't want to give bad guys the green light that no one will be home for a week.
- Ask a friend to help out - Have a reliable friend keep an eye out on your house while you're away.
- Stop mail delivery - If you don't have a reliable friend to keep an eye out on the house, "stop" your mail for the time being. Nothing is more obvious that no one is home when the driveway has a pile of old newspapers or mail on it.
- Put lights on timers - Leaving a light on the whole time is unrealistic and makes for a costly light bill. Get a light switch timer. These timers turn your lights on and off automatically according to a program schedule. Motion detector lights are also a way to deter burglars. Another cool item to consider is a TV simulator light – this special light makes it look like you have the TV on at night!
- Keep curtains the same - Keep your curtains the way you normally would have them on any other given day. It’s important to keep expensive items like jewelry and cash out of sight so you are not giving burglars a reason to break into your house.
- Disable your automatic garage door - Some burglars have tools to decode your garage door or use universal garage door openers to get in.
- Do a last minute lock check - Give all windows and doors a lock check before you leave. While you're at it, don't forget to remove spare keys.
Take an extra minute to double check your home before leaving for the holidays. It's better to be safe than sorry!
