Thursday, 17th April 2014 12:00:23 PM
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) are reminding residents to remain vigilant when it comes to securing their homes when heading away this Easter.
Many people plan their holidays but forget to take steps to secure their homes. This makes it easy for opportunistic thieves to get into the house and take what they want, ultimately ruining your holiday.
By taking some time to review your home security you can make it harder for thieves to know you are away and get into your house.
Residents should take the time to check that their house is fully locked and hide or secure any valuables before they go away.
They should also ensure their home and contents insurance is adequate and up to date and make attempts to make the premises look lived in and occupied.
Some home safety tips include:
*Ensure all windows and doors are locked.
* Lock gates, sheds and garages.
* Secure all valuables.
* Make your house look ‘lived in’ by using timing devices to turn lights and radios on/off at different times.
* Stop deliveries to your home.
* Arrange for someone to cut your lawn and keep your yard tidy.
* Never leave your garbage bins out on the street for several days.
* Ask a relative or friend to regularly check on your home and advise them of your contact details.
* Let a trusted friend or neighbour know your holiday plans.
* Have a friend or neighbour parked their vehicle in the driveway of your home.
* Turn down the volume on your home telephone. Avoid using answer machine messages which indicate you are away.
* Never advertise your trip on social network sites.
* Pay essential service bills in advance (electricity, gas, water and telephone) so that your services continue while you are away.
These tips are important to protect your home but also urged people to always think about their personal safety.
Whether you are staying in a house, hotel, villa or tent you should always remember to secure your valuables and lock all windows and doors when leaving the premises.
Remember to lock your car and don’t leave bags or valuables in sight.
Phones, wallets, cash, cameras and music devices are prime targets for thieves as they can easily be carried away.
If your home is broken into call the Police at 941-8083 or 911 immediately. Don’t touch anything and if you are unsure if anyone is still inside the house then remain outside and await the arrival of police.
Let the police see your home exactly how the thief has left it and while you are waiting for police to arrive, compile a list of the stolen items including descriptions, model and serial numbers and any engraving details.
Police are urging anyone with information about criminal activity to call Crime Stoppers on 1-800-8477 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: www.crimestoppers.tc. Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. All calls are answered by Miami Dade Police and no one from the RTCIPF will know who called. Only the information received will be provided to the RTCIPF. We remind people they should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.