Holiday Season Awareness & Prevention Tips Series | Tips On Leaving For The Holidays

[VIDEO DESC: Ian Sanborn, a white male, is wearing a beret and dark brown sweater. Behind him is a dark gray background.]

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Holiday Season Awareness & Prevention Tips Series | December 23, 2020

Leaving for the Holidays:

• If you’re planning to travel during the holiday season, be sure to keep your travel plans off your social media networks. Never post where you’re going, when you’re leaving, or when you’ll be back.
• This is prime information for a burglar because they’ll know when your house will be empty. Even if you have the highest level of security on your Facebook or Instagram accounts, posting this kind of information is never recommended.
• Keep a car parked in the driveway
• Ask a trusted friend, neighbor or Neighborhood Watch member to watch your home.
• Unplug unnecessary electronics
• Bring plants indoors and put away outdoor items that a burglar could use to break in
• Use timers for lights and radios while you’re away.
• Remember to make arrangements for mail and newspapers and have them placed on hold.

After Opening Gifts/The Holidays:

• Don’t advertise expensive toys, electronics, or other gifts received and expose boxes left for garbage collections. Compress or tear up large boxes and place them in black garbage bags for pick-up.
• Add new items to your home inventory. Take photos or video of all items of value in your home and list each item’s make, model, serial number and other information.
• Engrave new items to help identify them in the event they are stolen.

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