Spring Break can be a great time to get away from it all and use some of that vacation time up before summer roles around. However Spring Break is also considered a time of prime pickings for burglars. Here are a few tips that you can apply to help prevent would be burglars from knowing your home is empty.
1. Keep your blinds closed.
Anyone peeping through your windows cannot see your valuables or if anyone is inside the house.
2. Pick-up that “emergency” key.
Most people hide an emergency key to get into their home in what they think is a relatively safe place. However criminals with time and experience on their hands can usually spot these tell tale spots and would then have unlimited access to your home.
3.Outside Appearances
The outside of your home can expose your absence as easily as a neon sign. Have a trusted neighbor take your trash at for you when you are gone, set timers for lights or televisions if you have them. Consider contacting your postal carrier to hold your mail or have a trusted neighbor collect it for you. Keeping your yard tidy and mowed is another sign that the homeowner is present.
4. Security Cameras
Through multiple studies it has been shown that a major deterrent for burglars is home security cameras. While dogs and home alarm systems can be good deterrents, security cameras can give police an ID of the burglar, while an alarm only gives them a smaller window of time to collect your valuables.
5. Social Media
While it can be tempting to share with all your friends and family the fun you are having on your vacation you are also broadcasting your absence from home. Consider waiting until after your vacation to post photos or announcing that you will be out of town to prevent burglars from discovering when you will be away.
6. Slowing their pace
Burglars spend only about 60 seconds when breaking into a home, assessing your valuables and taking whatever they can as quickly as possible. Since most burglars gain access through the ground floor consider adding additional deadbolts to doors and locks or jams for windows. In addition you can also add motion sensor lights to areas to discourage their movement and make them more exposed to being seen.