JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Nearly 47 million Americans will leave their homes this week to hit the holiday road for Thanksgiving. That means millions of homes left empty for crooks to break into.
It's a time of year to be thankful, but it’s also the time of year when crooks take advantage of families who leave their homes to travel loved ones.
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Arm your home with an alarm. Criminals are less likely to try to break into a home with an alarm. Be sure to post alarm company stickers on windows and doors that will easily be seen.
It may sound like a no-brainer, but keep all points of entry locked.
“Of course you're going to lock your doors. Everyone thinks about locking the doors with a dead bolt. Also check your windows. That's not something you check on a daily basis like you do your doors,” said News4Jax’s Crime and Safety Analyst Gil Smith.
Speaking of locking doors, secure spare keys. Leave spare keys with a trusted neighbor or family member and never hide them on the property.
“If you’re going to leave town for the holidays, have someone come by and check your house. A relative can come over to the house or maybe even one of the next-door neighbors,” said Smith.
Also suspend newspapers and mail delivery. A pile of newspapers and a full mailbox is a sure sign that you are not home.
“Contact your neighbor. Just ask him to pick it up or throw it out. Let them know when you're leaving, and let them know when you're going to be returning to restart delivery,” said Smith.
Social media safety is also key.
“Instagram, Twitter, Facebook… so many people post personal information on the sites so criminals know where they're going. You have to be very careful when you're traveling out of town because you don't want criminals to know when you're leaving” said Smith.
Another suggestion is to use lighting to your advantage. You could have motion sensors on outside lights as well as a timer on inside lights to give the appearance someone is home.