4 Steps To Avoid Home Theft During The Holidays

An estimated 1.7 million Americans were burglarized last year - accounting for roughlyone-fifth of all property crimes - according to statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Many of these incidents occurred in and around the holiday season. When including those who’ve had packages stolen from their doorsteps, however - left there by postal and parcel services workers - approximately 23 million Americans have been affected by theft, based on a recent poll done by Princeton Survey Research Associates International.

It’d be one thing if families were home all the time, as home invasions and doorstep thievery and are much less common when there’s someone there to keep watch. But with work and school responsibilities being what they are, this isn’t always possible.

In addition to increasing your watchfulness over the holidays, the following are a few other suggestions for how to make sure your home’s merchandise doesn’t wind up in the wrong hands this time of year - or any other time for that matter:

1. Make arrangements with postal service
If you’re expecting a delivery after buying a present online, you can coordinate the manner in which it’s delivered. Get in touch with your local letter carrier so that instead of it being left at the front stoop, you can pick it up at the postal office. You should also be able to do this with parcel delivery services like UPS or FedEx.

2. Avoid telegraphing when you’re away
Social media has made communicating intentions simple and quick, where anyone and everyone can know what you’re doing and when. Be careful of what you say on Facebook and Twitter, however, because it could be used as a way to determine when you’re away from home.

3. Install window security film
Skilled thieves are able to rob without gaining entry through the door. Called “smash and grab,” these thefts most often take place when merchandise is near a window, prompting criminals to break through glass in order to steal what’s behind it. Some are able to do it quietly. You can reinforce your windows’ resistance to breakage, however, with some window security film. These are easy to install and can be found at home improvement retailers like The Home Depot and Lowe’s.

4. Use motion-activated outdoor lighting
During the holidays, many use timers for candles set up on windows sills so that they can turn on and off on their own. You may also want to consider installing similar lighting for the exterior, the difference being that light is triggered when it senses motion. This can serve as an added layer of protection during the holidays. According to research from Cornell University, more robberies happen when the clock is on Daylight Standard Time - like it is in December - due in part to there being fewer hours of sunlight.

PropertyCasualty360.com has several additional home protection tips during the holidays or whenever you’re not at home.

Speaking of protection, homeowners insurance can serve as an extra layer, as a standard policy could indemnify your belongings. For more information on how, visit Bateman Agency site. Or contact Donna Bateman at 908-271-2073.