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Security During VacationsYou simply do not want to make it obvious that you are gone away for any amount of time. First, many believe they should cancel the paper, hold the mail and cancel any other deliveries. Well, not so. Doing that lets people at the newspaper, any delivery service (such as milk) and the post office all know that you are gone, and for how long. Instead, have a trusted neighbor pick up your newspapers and mail and any other deliveries and hold them for you. Also do not kennel your dog. Hire a dog sitter, who might just be able to do it all for you. Mine, for example, comes in the morning, lets the dog out and leaves him food, brings in the paper, opens the blinds. Then she comes back in the afternoon and takes my dog for a walk. She returns in the evening, shuts the blinds, makes sure the dog goes out again and has plenty of food and water, and brings in the mail. She is a bonded professional dog sitter, but any trusted neighbor who knows how to handle a dog can do the same thing. I pay $25/day for this service, so it would be nice to give your friend a nice gift for their trouble.
If you are prominent, don't let media know you are going away. Bad guys read papers too. It is not a bad idea to notify the police that you will be gone. If you do so, also let them know who is taking care of your home so they won't arrest your next-door neighbor while he's feeding your dog! J Cars are another issue. If you have one car that stays in a garage, no one will know whether it's there or not. If you don't have a garage, the missing car will attract attention. If you have a second car, many people leave it in the driveway, but doing so gets suspicious after awhile. Have your neighbor move it every now and then. Also be sure in winter to arrange for snow cleanup and in warmer weather to be sure the grass is kept cut.
Do not pack the car the night before unless you are absolutely certain no one can get to it. E.g., my car is locked inside a locked garage, inside a yard with a locked gate, and the alarm is set.
Always leave an itinerary and contact numbers with a trusted friend or neighbor who can reach you in case of emergency. And remember, while you are away, your out-of-state license plates distinguish you as a "mark." Always try to park in a manner than shields your license plate from nosy eyes. Thieves are more inclined to steal goods, or the car itself, when they see out-of-state plates - knowing it's unlikely that if they are caught you will return to testify against them.
Keep your house looking lived in. Remember we talked about lamp timers, and lights coming on at appropriate times will give the appearance someone is there. If need be, just keep a lamp on all the time. Turn down the volume on your phone so that anyone walking by won't hear a continually unanswered phone ringing. Don't shut down your air conditioning or heating, just lower it so that it will come on periodically.
It is unusual if you are gone for several weeks to not have any trash on the curb for pickup. Arrange for a neighbor to put some of their trash in front of your house.
Finally, the single best solution is to hire a house sitter who will live in your home while you are away. A friend, relative or neighbor you completely trust is ideal. You also might check for professional house sitters, co-workers, members of your church or mature students or faculty members at the local university.
