PITT COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) – As the holiday rush intensifies, so does the risk of a home break-in.
The Pitt County Sheriff's Office is urging residents to take certain safety precautions before packing their bags.
“Anything you can do to make the house look lived in and active to raise a criminal question as to whether it's safe for them to do that is a good idea,” said Sgt. Lee Darnell.
Asking a trusted neighbor to collect piles of mail and leaving indoor and outdoor lights on are just some of the ways you can keep unwanted guests away.
But some security experts say you should be careful not to let on too much that you might be out of town.
“If you leave your lights on all day, then the person watching the neighborhood will recognize that you haven't changed anything for that day,” said Mike Roberson, owner of SCI Technologies, a home security systems company in Greenville .
Homeowners say they have installed additional security devices to protect their homes.
“There were a few things (in the neighborhood) that kind of made us say, 'Hey, let's go ahead and put the alarm system in,'” said homeowner Cheryl Cherry.
Your presence on social media can also play a role in break-ins. The Sheriff's Office suggests residents suspend their posts until they return.
“It may not be as fun, but it's much safer to say 'Look how I spent my Christmas' with a message instead of letting people know it's open season for your house ” said Darnell.
And while homeowners say the need for this much security hasn't always been the case, they know that protecting your home is the best solution.
“It's not like it was 30 or 40 years ago, when I was young, when you knew you could kind of keep your doors open, but now you definitely have to make sure that you lock,” Cherry said. “You never know.”
The Pitt County Sheriff's Office also has a home inspection service you can register through their website. This notifies officers to check your property when you are out of town for suspicious activity.
The sheriff's office says other ways to prevent break-ins include securing windows and doors, upgrading locks and removing any spare keys that may be lying around.
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