– Make sure you notify a trusted neighbor that you will be gone. You can ask them to watch for any suspicious activity or persons around your home and give them a telephone number you or someone else close can be reached at if there is an emergency.
– Don’t let mail or newspapers pile up. Ask a neighbor to collect your mail and newspapers every day, or request a ‘vacation hold’ from the U.S. Postal Service and your newspaper delivery service while you are away. An overstuffed mailbox and/or several days of newspapers accumulating in front of your house are a tip off to burglars that you are away for an extended length of time.
– Don’t let your lawn get overgrown. Perhaps you can ask a friend to cut your grass or hire a neighborhood teen to mow your lawn while you’re gone.
– Put automatic timers on several lights in your house – preferably in rooms you normally occupy. Just leaving a light on continually can indicate no one is there to turn it off.
– Contact your local police department and ask if they have a ‘vacation house check’ program you can sign up for.
– Last, just before leaving, do a complete walk through of your house, making sure all windows and doors are locked. Be sure to include the basement and garage in the walk through.
Remember, planning a vacation entails a little more than making reservations, purchasing tickets and packing sunscreen. Taking a few minutes to safeguard your home can help you enjoy your vacation more by knowing you’ve taken precautions to ensure an enjoyable homecoming following your trip.
Have a fun and safe summer!
Anita Alvarez
Cook County State’s Attorney