The Holiday Season is a great time for criminals, too, with lots of opportunities to steal a purse, a present, an automobile, or even your identity.  Be prepared and aware this holiday season.

How to Protect Yourself from Burglaries During the Holidays:

1. Don’t display your Christmas tree and gifts so they’re easily visible from the street. With all that bounty in the window, it’s tempting for a thief to smash a window and make off with your wrapped packages.
2.  After Christmas day, do NOT pile up EMPTY BOXES IN FRONT OF YOUR HOME, advertising your new wide-screen TV, computer, DVD player.  Break them down or cut them up to conceal what’s in the house. And after you’ve been robbed, remember that the thief might be back to pick up the new replacements.
3. Don’t leave your outdoor lights burning 24 hours a day, or your newspapers piled up outside, or leave advertising flyers hanging on the door knob. These are all signs that you are not home!  Use an inexpensive light timer and ask a neighbor to help keep the front of your home clean of papers and debris if you’re away for long periods of time.   
4. Everyone knows about the “hidden” door key somewhere near the front door or entrance to the house. DON’T HIDE SPARE HOUSE KEYS UNDER MATS, ROCKS, FLOWER POTS, ABOVE DOOR LEDGES.  In fact, don’t hide it anywhere in close proximity to your house at all.  Give your spare key to a trusted neighbor.
5. Lock all doors and windows. Non-secure sliding windows can be spotted easily, so invest in special locking hardware.  Don’t run extension cords for exterior Christmas lights through a window if you then can’t secure it! Use an exterior outlet for holiday lights.
6. Don’t make things easy for a thief—don’t post your family name on your mailbox or on the house. One call to directory assistance gets your home phone number, a call to your home will confirm you’re away and your house is fair game.  
7. Do NOT record answering machine messages that advertise you’re away.  For example, “Merry Christmas!  We’re in New England for the holidays…please leave a message” might as well say, “Please come inside and take everything of value that we own.”  Your message advertises that a thief will have plenty of time to break in and rob you.
8. Protect your home and install solid core doors, heavy duty locks, longer screws in the lock strike plates and door hinges, and install secondary security devices on all accessible sliding windows.