Stop burglars while away on summer vacation
Suspected home burglars were recently arrested on the street in Desert Hot Springs.
A prowler was caught on a home security camera outside a home in Palm Springs.
One home was robbed in Cathedral City in the middle of the night.
“It’s really, really scary to know that something like that could happen overnight,” said Karen Parra, after her neighbor’s home on Landau Boulevard was robbed.
While home burglaries here in the valley happen year-round, experts say when people leave for summer vacation, their homes can become even more tempting targets.
Codi Mix is a community resource officer who works on crime prevention in Rancho Mirage.
“I like to share with people to try to become their own burglar. Take a look around their own property and walk their property. Try to break into their home and see how they do,” said Mix.
To keep the bad guys away, Mix says there are several simple steps you can take to protect your home and property.
First, ask the post office to hold your mail, as an overstuffed mailbox is a dead giveaway that no one is home.
Second, make sure your lawn and yard look maintained. If you don’t have a landscaper, consider hiring a neighbor to cut the grass and trim the bushes.
“The more that you can make your home look like its lived in, and somebody is there and present, the better,” said Mix.
When it comes to your driveway, keep it occupied. If you don’t leave your own car there, ask a neighbor to park their car there from time to time, to give the illusion that someone is in the house.
Also, never leave a spare key hidden somewhere outside, around your home, a would-be robber could find it if they poke around long enough. Instead, leave a spare key with a trusted neighbor.
“A lot of it is common sense, its things that we know to do. It’s just a matter if we practice what we know,” said Mix.
For social media, do not share information about your trip in the days leading up to your departure, and don’t post pictures showing what you are doing while you are away. Your posts could reach more people than you realize.
Also, if you have a home security system, make sure you turn it on before you leave. Mix says homeowners with alarms often forget to turn them on when leaving the home.
Let your security company know when you’ll be away, and provide a number for them to reach you, in the event something does happen, and they need to contact you.
You can also use timers to automatically turn lights on at night.
“With that you want them to be variable, so they come on at random times of the night, instead of being a scheduled time,” said Officer Mix.
Finally, ask your police department to perform a property check on your place while you’re away.
Taking some or all of these steps won’t make your home crime proof.
But, they could go a long way in making sure you don’t come back from vacation to find you’ve become a crime victim.
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