This is the time of year for peace on earth, goodwill towards men…but not all “men” are good. The FBI’s national criminal statistics report over 400,000 burglaries take place during the Holidays alone. Below are some helpful tips to keep you, your family and your home safe this Holiday season. 

• Make sure all  exterior doors and windows, including upper level windows, are locked
• Use your home burglar alarm system.
• Don’t discuss your plans with strangers or post it on social networks. Have a trusted friend or neighbor to keep an eye on your home and collect your mail.
  • You may be proud that you are going away, but you never know who might be taking note of you leaving.
• Before traveling, contact your local law enforcement agency and ask to have your home placed on “vacation watch.”
  • Most municipalities offer this service.
  • The nearest patrol officer will drive by your home for a safety check once during their shift.
  • Be sure to notify authorities when you have returned. Note, please do not call 911 to discuss this service. A non-emergency number should be listed in your phone book.
• Try to make your house look lived in while you are away.
  • Consider picking up some inexpensive timers for your lights and TVs, and have them come on at times when you would normally be home.
  • To be really tricky stagger the timers so that the living room lights come on and off early in the evening and bedroom lights come on later.
  • This is consistent with most schedules, but adapt it to fit your family’s routine.
  • Leave a spare key and emergency number with trusted friend/neighbor.
    • In an emergency you might need for someone to go in your home (frozen pipes, water heater leak, etc.)
• Silence the ringer on your home phone.
  • One trick of the criminal trade is to stake out a house and call the home phone number. If it rings with no answer it is a safe bet that no one is home. If the ringer is silent then the crooks my think someone is home, using the phone, or that they have the wrong number.
  • Do not mention on your answering machines or voicemail that you are traveling
  • Remove garage door openers from cars parked in the driveway.
    • Leave a second car parked in the driveway.
    • Be sure to remove the garage door opener. Burglars can easily bust out a window and open your garage with simply a click of a button.
    • • Lock garage entry doors.
      • Lock the door from the garage to the home when leaving.
      • Garage doors have been known to malfunction, or be manually forced up, allowing access into your home.
      • Trim shrubbery and trees close to your home.
        • Overgrown shrubs provide the perfect cover for the burglar working to pry open windows.
        • Do NOT leave remnants of Christmas morning by the curb.
          • Large appliance boxes and/or containers are a sign crooks that someone in the house received a lovely expensive gift, which is up for grabs.
          • Break down boxes and put them in cans or black garbage bags to conceal the products that were inside them.

Most of all enjoy your family, friends, and food.

Happy and safe Holidays from your friends at

Peniel Environmental