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Christmas Burglary Prevention - How to Secure Your Home for the Holidays

Updated on November 14, 2013

Christmas Burglary Prevention

The Christmas Grinch Strikes

On Christmas Eve, the Smith children babbled excitedly all the way back from Grandma and Grandpa's house, more than a little anxious to get home and into their beds before Santa came. They also wanted a last look at that box with their names on it that Aunt Jane had brought over the day before. It sat nestled under the tree with the others already wrapped and waiting.

With these things on their minds, they tore up the walk and waited impatiently for their parents to catch up and unlock the door. The kids kicked off their boots and shrugged quickly out of their coats en route to the living room and the Christmas tree. In their excitement, they did not notice right away how cold the house was. Or that the window was open. What caught their attention immediately was the missing presents. Their father had already had a quick look around and was phoning the police when they turned around to complain tearfully.

Protect Your Home at Christmas

Stop thieves and prevent being robbed
Stop thieves and prevent being robbed

How to Prevent It from Happening to You - Secure Your Home for the Holidays

Being robbed is a frightening experience that can leave a family feeling violated and unsafe for some time afterwards. You can cut down your odds of being a victim of thieves by following some good advice given to me by a local police officer and Neighbourhood Watch.

Christmas Burglary Prevention

  • Install a house number on the back of your house, making identification easy when a neighbour calls the police. Having a map of your immediate area all the house numbers on it, such as the type Neighbourhood Watch issues, also helps cut down on police response time as directions are quick and concise.
  • Use light timers all year round, setting them to run from dark until 2:00 a.m.
  • Leave your radios on whenever you are out. Even if a burglar has seen people leave the house, they won't know for sure if anyone is home or not. The trick here (and with the lighting) is to make it look like someone is home at all times.
  • Never leave your keys in the car and always keep your car locked. It would be especially infuriating to have your things driven away in your own car. Vehicles can also serve as hiding places for criminals.
  • Do not leave valuables where they can be seen from outside.
  • If you are going to be away from home for a couple of weeks or more, call the police and let them know how long you'll be gone and who has a key to your house. This will help officers determine whether or not the person watering lants has your permission for entry while you are gone.
  • If you spot someone suspicious anywhere in your neighbourhood, report it to the police as soon as possible. You may prevent a crime from happening.

Police suggest that you call your local police department rather than 911 to report complaints such as a noisy party. This frees up emergency lines and personnel to respond to more serious charges.

Take a few precautions to secure your home and have a wonderful Holiday!

Editor's Note:  This Christmas Burglary Prevention article is a reprint from the December 1995 issue of the Old South Advocate.
Editor's Note: This Christmas Burglary Prevention article is a reprint from the December 1995 issue of the Old South Advocate.
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