How to Protect Your Home While You're Away for the Holidays

Traditionally, the holiday season is a time of good-natured giving and receiving of gifts and other tokens of appreciation. It’s also a time when thieves take what does not belong to them.

Police often see an uptick in burglaries and break-ins to houses and vehicles this time of year, as many locals leave town to visit loved ones in other cities states or countries.

In the past few weeks, have responded to reports of and have battled an increase of as well.

Just because a home is unoccupied during the holidays does not mean it needs to be unprotected. Authorities offered some advice for keeping your home safe during your holiday travels – and one of the most effective may also be the easiest.

Dedham authorities released these safety tips for residents:

7 Tips for Keeping Your House Safe During Your Holiday Travels

1. Make sure your home has the “lived in” look. Use appliance timers throughout your home to control indoor and outdoor lights.
   
   
2. Have a friend or neighbor collect mail and flyers from your property and shovel the snow if necessary. Cancel the delivery of all newspapers until your return.
   
   
3. Attempt to schedule package deliveries when someone in your house will be home.  Packages have been stolen off of doorsteps if left outside.
   
   
4. Set lights on timers or light sensors to turn on and off in the evening. A TV or radio can also be set on a timer to add to the illusion that someone is at home. 
   
   
5. Leave a car in your driveway, or ask a neighbor to park there.
   
   
6. Don't record a new message on your home answering machine indicating where you are or how long you'll be away. You'll be issuing an open invitation for someone to rob your house.
   
   
7. Leave shades, curtains and blinds in their normal positions. Covered windows during the daytime indicate an empty house.