Home Security Doesn't Take a Holiday

During the holiday season everyone seems to be in a rush to get all of their shopping done and then go out and have some fun with friends, family and co-workers. In those few short days many forget all of their usual troubles and woes and just enjoy living in the moment.

While this may be a time to escape everyday cares, it is also a time when crime is on the rise. The holidays often see sharp "spikes" in the number of home burglaries, credit card theft and pick pocketing that occur. Because crime is not on holiday too, it means that a homeowner must pay close attention to their habits and never stray from their usual home security routines.

Don't have an established home security routine? It is never too late to start, and at the holidays it may be more important than ever. To begin, most law enforcement agencies advise against placing the Christmas tree immediately in front of a window. While it is lovely to look at with all of its twinkling lights and glittering ornaments, it also places all of the great "loot" in easy reach for a criminal. Simply breaking the window may allow the thief to make off with thousands of dollars in goods. Of course this principle holds for the rest of the year as well, and police will always recommend placing expensive possessions and collectibles far from doors or windows, and even out of plain sight if possible.

The next part of an everyday routine that also applies to the holidays is around the appearance of occupancy in a home. If you, like millions of others, are at work and out of the home all day, it is a good idea to work to give the appearance that someone is inside. This is easily achieved by placing timing devices throughout the home which turn on lights and radios or even television sets. Of course a good thief will watch a home for several days and may make note of such events, so clever manufacturers now produce random timers that will turn equipment on at random times throughout the day, and automatically cease this activity in the later hours of the evening. Investing in such a simple device is a good way to "out fox" a criminal. During the holidays it is very important to create the appearance of occupancy, particularly if a family is away for the day or even for a few nights.

Another daily routine that is important during the holidays involves the curbside trash. Law enforcement officials remind people each year that it is not advisable to throw away the large boxes and containers that such high priced goods as DVD players, video game equipment and other electronics are packaged in. They recommend that such boxes are carried to the curb on the morning of trash pickup because this will generally prevent criminals from getting an instant inventory of what they will find inside each home. They also remind people of the importance of shredding anything containing credit card numbers and personal information as these are the primary tools for identity theft.

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