While traveling or away from home this holiday season, follow these important tips to protect you and your home from grinches this year!

• Install timers for lights in different rooms and set them to come on, and go off, at random times.
• Don’t leave keys outside of your home.  Burglars are well aware of common hiding places and can spot fake concealment methods (i.e. fake rocks) quickly.  Instead, leave a key with a trusted friend or neighbor.
• Place regular deliveries (such as work deliveries, newspapers, etc.) and mail service on hold while you are away.  Packages piling up on a porch, or mail overflowing from the mailbox, is a sure sign to thieves that no one is home.  Have a neighbor or friend hold any items that may have been delivered by mistake. 
• Don’t post your travel plans on social media.  You don’t advertise to the world that no one will be home.  Wait until you return to post about the trip.
• And REMEMBER, the Strasburg Borough Police Department offers Premises Security Checks to "keep an eye" on your house or business while you are traveling or away for an extended period of time.  Simply fill out the Request for Security Check Form and submit it to us in person, via e-mail (rubincak@strasburgpd.org), fax (717-687-6599), or postal mail before you leave.