House Watch

The following are a few items to consider about one week prior to your next trip:

1. Call the Seminole County Sheriff.s Office District 5 Service Center at 407-623-1060 between the hours of 8:00am and 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. Other times, call the Communications Center at 407.665.6650 to request a House Watch. There is no charge for this service. While you are out of town an officer will make daily perimeter checks of your home.
2. Notify the Communication Center in the event you return early from your trip.
3. Arrange to have your mail held at the Post Office or picked up daily by a trusted friend.
4. Arrange to have your newspapers stopped or picked up daily.
5. Arrange to have your lawn mowed to avoid the appearance there is no one home.
6. Do not hide cash or jewelry in the home. Consider putting them in a safety deposit box.
7. Make sure you have secured outside items, such as bicycles and lawn items. Unsecured items are easy targets.
8. Turn down the ringer on all telephones so they can not be heard from the outside.
9. Set electric timers to turn on and off lights during the evening.
10. Unplug all electrical appliances, such as TV sets, DVD players, stereos, computers, toasters, microwave ovens, coffee pots and all other appliances to prevent damage during electrical storms.
11. If possible have a neighbor park in your driveway while you are out of town.
12. Lock your garage door with a bar or pad lock on the inside track to prevent anyone forcing the overhead door open.
13. Lock all inside doors connecting to the garage.
14. Close all windows and sliding doors. Make sure all locks are secure.
15. Make sure the last person out locks the door.
16. Make an outside security check of your home.
17. Have a safe trip.
18. Wear your seat belts

TIPS FROM A CONVICTED BURGLAR

Caught red handed, arrested and convicted, a home burglar admitted to over 100 residential burglaries. The following are a few of the ways he selected a target home and how to rip it off.

• HOW DID HE PICK A HOME?

  He would walk around a neighborhood for about one hour looking for an EASY TARGET. An easy target was any home with open windows and open garage doors. A home with a NO ONE HOME appearance such as lawn needing mowing, newspapers out front and mail mounting up.

  He would check the area activity, such as cars in driveway and children playing.

• WHAT WOULD DETER HIM?
  • Dogs
  • Neighborhood Watch Signs
  • Noise (TV or radio playing inside home)
  • Burglar alarm systems
  • Nosy neighbors who could identify him to the police
• HOW WOULD HE GET IN?
  • Through unlocked windows and doors
  • Through unlocked garage doors
  • Would knock at front door to see if anyone was home
  • Would go around back and try a door or window before breaking in
• WHERE WOULD HE LOOK?
  • Would ransack bedroom dresser looking for money and jewelry
  • Check bathroom for jewelry
  • Would not waste time searching a cluttered room or closet
• WHAT WOULD HE TAKE?
  • If on foot, he would take pocket items, money, jewelry, etc.
  • If a car was available he would take TV.s, VCR.s, phones and weapons
  • May even hide big items outside and return later to remove
  • May even change into victim.s clothing, before leaving, to change his appearance
• WHAT IF CONFRONTED?
  • May surrender to an armed homeowner, if he knows the owner would shoot him
  • May fight an unarmed homeowner
  • Would run from the police
  • He knows the police would not shoot him unless he is a threat to the officer