Protect Your Home While You’re Away

   Breaking and entering is a homeowner’s worst nightmare.  But with smart planing, help from neighbors and even assistance from police, break-ins can be prevented.

  Maria Knizevski of Clovis doesn’t leave town without letting her neighbors know.  And sometimes she even lets the police department know.  She locked her windows and doors, of course, but also takes advantage of a program that offers periodic police checks of her home.  Maria says, "It made me feel better that I was on a trip and that my house was safe."

The Clovis Police Department has been offering the home check program for a few years.  Citizens let the dispatch know they are going to be gone, and police volunteers take it from there.   According to Lt. Brett Herschberger, "They get a list printed out and they’ll go through the list daily and check on people’s houses that are on vacation to make sure everything is the way they left it."

If the volunteers notice something unusual, they’ll contact an officer to investigate.  Police say home protection starts with the homeowner.  Alarm systems and even security lights are great, but they also suggest keeping your vacation plans under wraps.

According to Lt. Herschberger, "Some criminals do a lot of research surfing the internet looking for people who are posting that they’re going to be out of town.  How long they’re going to be out of town and that’s where they start, they look for the most vulnerable places to hit."