The holidays are here and unfortunately, this is a prime time for home and car burglary.  The Lawhead Team cares about you and wants to make sure you do all you can to prevent a burglar from breaking in.

Here are some helpful tips for property owners and renters to secure their homes and vehicles from a burglar:

Do not leave an emergency key in a location which would be obvious to a potential burglar.  They know to look under flowerpots, outside furniture cushions, door mats and other common hiding places.

Use motion detectors to automatically turn on exterior lights after dark. While good lightning does not guarantee that a burglar will not try to forcibly enter a home, it is one of the cheapest, easiest, and most effective elements of an overall home security system.

Don’t give a burglar a reason to break into your car.  Rushing from one store to the other, it is easy to leave bags and packages in plain sight in the car.  Hide your purchases in the trunk or cover them with a blanket or jacket.  Of course, always remember to park in a well lit area and lock your door.

Make sure to pick up any newspapers and/or packages left in the driveway or doorway.  Accumulation of newspapers and packages is a telltale sign to a burglar that no one is home.  . When traveling, homeowners should always arrange for someone to collect their packages, mail, and papers—or at least inform the newspaper company and post office to temporarily stop delivery.

Leave a light on.  Empty dark houses are prime targets for burglary.  Leaving lights on, asking a neighbor to get your mail and automatic timers on holidays lights give the appearance of being home.

Let your neighbors know you will be traveling or leaving the house for an extended period of time. A concerned neighbor is one of the primary deterrents of a burglar and other suspicious activity in neighborhoods.

Installing a loud alarm system with remote monitoring capabilities will deter most all burglars.  No burglar is willing to stay in a home with a blaring alarm system.