By Samuetta Hill Drew
The holiday season is quickly approaching. It starts in late November and goes to mid-January. This is a time of year families gather, parties are scheduled and travel spikes.
For the next few weeks the articles will review some important safety tips shared a few years ago, as well as provide some new additional safety information aimed to help keep you safe during the holiday season. The first article will address keeping your home safe as you travel to enjoy your families and friends. You want to ensure your home is safe upon your return.
For those of you who plan to travel during the holidays, it’s important to keep your holiday plans offline. Your travel plans should never be shared on social media prior to your trip. It’s best to post photos and other travel information on social media after your return.
It is suggested that you notify a neighbor, one you trust of your travel plans. This allows someone close to your residence to keep a watching eye on your home and property. Make sure your neighbor has your travel contact information, along with the length of time you will be away.
Because more and more consumers are doing their holiday shopping online, their holiday purchases are dropped off on front porches. This provides an ample opportunity for “Porch Pirates” to intercept your home deliveries. It’s best to take advantage of electronic delivery alerts when shopping online.
Taking necessary protections to make sure your gifts are safely delivered and received is vital any time, but especially during the holiday season. Thieves are on the prowl during this time of year and like to strike when they see a FedEx or Amazon Prime delivery truck.
Hide your packages. Beautifully wrapped gifts underneath an ornate lit Christmas tree makes a home look extremely festive, but you need to keep gifts out of sight from plain view. No one should be able to look through your window and see all your wrapped presents. This makes your home an easy target when you are away. It’s easy to break through a window and steal all your gifts.
Placing your holiday lights on a timer is another safety tip. This way thieves can’t detect if you’re home or not. You may be able to control your lights electronically while you’re traveling; turns your lights on and off at the same time each evening.
Taking an few extra precautions by Keeping an Eye on Safety as you travel during the holidays just provides optimum protection for you and your home.
