Ask an Officer: Protecting Your Home While On Vacation

If you have questions for the Vienna Police Department, we'll pass them along to officers who can get you answers.

Questions can be asked anonymously. Submit your questions to us via e-mail at erica.hendry at patch.com, by posting a comment on this article. You can also send us a Tweet or a message on our Facebook page.

Question: We're going out of town for the holiday. How can we protect our home?

Answer (by Public Information Officer Gary Lose):

Here are some tips for home safety if you are going to be out of town for a period of time.

1. Newspapers: If you continue to have newspapers sent to the house see if you can get someone to pick them up or maybe stop delivery.  A driveway or front porch full of newspapers means no one has been home for a while.

2. Mail: Follow the same steps as the Newspaper. It is easiest to have some one pick it up for you, they can also check the house and make sure nothing looks out of place at the residence.

3. Lights: It is a good idea to put a few different lights on timers to have them come on and off at different interval. It gives the illusion that someone is home.

4. Doors and Windows: Make sure they are all locked and secure.

5. If you have a neighbor you can trust: Give them a key or the access code to the garage. Should there be an emergency they will be able to get in or allow the police to get in.

6. House Check from Police Department: The Vienna Police Department has House Check forms that can be filled out to make the department aware of the residents that will be away from their homes for any period of time.  The forms inform us of length of time away, vehicles that will be at residence and any one that would have access to residence.

Have a question for VPD? Leave it here and tune in next week for the answer.

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