Vacations and Travel
Protecting your home while you are away

Burglars make it their business to look for “easy marks” and are very observant of the signs of an unoccupied house. When planning to be away from your home for an extended period of time, consider some of the following suggestions that could minimize the risk of returning to your home only to find that it has been burglarized:

1. Arrange for someone to stay at your home in your absence to keep it looked well lived-in and take care of all of the normal household chores. Or ask a trusted neighbour to check in from time to time

2. Be aware of the signs that could lead to someone to believe that your house is unguarded and make arrangements to minimize these signals:

• Piles of mail, newspapers of other deliveries left outside the door
   
• An un-mowed lawn or un-shovelled snow
   
• No interior lights on in the evening hours
   
• Exterior lights left on during the day
   
• No trash outside your home on the scheduled pick-up day
   
• Absence of a regular pet in the yard
   
• A change in the normal display of drapes or window shades
   
• An unmoved car in driveway
   

Everyone Benefits Except The Criminal!