Lock your doors and windows at all times - even if you are away for only a few minutes. Remember, if you can get into your home without using a key so can burglars. Outside security can be as important as inside security. Do not keep a spare key in a hiding spot around your house; burglars know these hiding spots. Keep all sheds, gates, and garages locked when not in use. Use security lights to help light the outside and warn away intruders - burglars will often bypass the well lit home for the residence with poor lighting.
Don't leave your running car unlocked and unattended to warm up.
If you are expecting a package delivery, have someone home to accept it, leave it with a trusted neighbor, or have the delivery person hide it out of sight from the main roads. A package left outside for a few hours is not only a target to be stolen, but an indication to a burglar that no one is home.
When you go on holiday trips or to visit family and friends, do not forget to take a few easy steps to protect your property. Tell someone close to your home where you are going and when you will return. Call the Police Department at 913-642-5151 for a house watch on your residence. Cancel paper, mail, and any other regular deliveries to the home. A pile of newspapers is a sure sign that someone has not been home for a while. Set timers on lights, radios, or TVs to give the appearance that someone is home and moving around the residence. Ask a trusted friend or neighbor to keep an eye on your home while you are away. Ask a neighbor to make tire tracks in the driveway when it snows to give the appearance someone is home. Do not post your travel plans on social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter. You want only people you trust to know when your home will not be occupied.
After the season is over don’t let your guard down because all of the presents have been opened. When you take the trash out after the holidays, avoid taking large product boxes out to the curb. Cut the boxes up and turn the labels inside out so no one knows what was in the box. Leaving a large flat screen TV, computer, or laptop box on the curb tells everyone that drives by what there is to steal in your home. Please take a few minutes of your time now to help safeguard your home and your family.
Please be safe and have a happy holiday season!