Stay Safe During the Holidays
For most people, the holidays represent a time of great joy when families get together and express their love through gift-giving and other time-honored gestures.
For other people, though, those who are not as family-oriented, view the holidays as a time when they can make a huge profit by burglarizing your home.
While you are busily buying expensive gifts for your loved ones, burglars are thinking up ways to steal those gifts and re-sell them for cash of their own.
Fortunately, there are some things you can do to make yourself less of a target during the holiday season.
home security experts recommend the following steps to help keep your belongings safe during what should be a joyous time.
• Place your Christmas tree in a place that cannot be seen from the street.
This is basically an open invitation for burglars to "window shop.
" They can determine what they want before they ever break in.
In fact, some people who would never think of burglarizing your house just might be tempted into doing just that if they see something they want badly enough.
• If you are leaving for the holidays, make sure your house looks occupied at all times of the day and night.
Put your lights on times, stop your newspapers and mail and have your neighbors collect any flyers that solicitors place on your door.
It is even recommended by some home security system companies that you have your neighbor park his car in your driveway periodically while you are gone.
• Always lock your doors and your windows.
Again, open locks are an invitation to people who might otherwise never dream of committing a burglary.
When a door or window is unlocked it can almost seem silly to a person not to break into the house.
They might want to teach you a lesson or they might just think that they were meant to break in if the lock was open.
Don't give them any reason to find a justification to get inside your house.
• After you and your family open all your presents, do not leave the boxes on the curb.
This is similar to letting people see what's under your tree through your window.
They can determine exactly what is in your house by the trash you put out for pickup.
You should always break down the boxes and put them in black trash bags before you put them in the garbage.
For other people, though, those who are not as family-oriented, view the holidays as a time when they can make a huge profit by burglarizing your home.
While you are busily buying expensive gifts for your loved ones, burglars are thinking up ways to steal those gifts and re-sell them for cash of their own.
Fortunately, there are some things you can do to make yourself less of a target during the holiday season.
home security experts recommend the following steps to help keep your belongings safe during what should be a joyous time.
• Place your Christmas tree in a place that cannot be seen from the street.
This is basically an open invitation for burglars to "window shop.
" They can determine what they want before they ever break in.
In fact, some people who would never think of burglarizing your house just might be tempted into doing just that if they see something they want badly enough.
• If you are leaving for the holidays, make sure your house looks occupied at all times of the day and night.
Put your lights on times, stop your newspapers and mail and have your neighbors collect any flyers that solicitors place on your door.
It is even recommended by some home security system companies that you have your neighbor park his car in your driveway periodically while you are gone.
• Always lock your doors and your windows.
Again, open locks are an invitation to people who might otherwise never dream of committing a burglary.
When a door or window is unlocked it can almost seem silly to a person not to break into the house.
They might want to teach you a lesson or they might just think that they were meant to break in if the lock was open.
Don't give them any reason to find a justification to get inside your house.
• After you and your family open all your presents, do not leave the boxes on the curb.
This is similar to letting people see what's under your tree through your window.
They can determine exactly what is in your house by the trash you put out for pickup.
You should always break down the boxes and put them in black trash bags before you put them in the garbage.
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