Ah, the holidays! It’s the prime time for parties, family get-togethers and memories that will last a lifetime. But it’s also the peak season for home burglaries. Don’t let the rush and excitement of the holiday season make you careless in protecting your home from a potential break in.

The holiday season is a time when busy people can become careless and vulnerable to theft and other holiday crime. The following tips from Pop-A-Lock Omaha can help you be more careful, prepared and aware during the holiday season.

Be extra cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave the house, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Locking your doors behind you before you jet off to the airport or a party may sound simple enough, but you would be surprised how often people forget. (Don’t miss the less obvious entry points like windows, screen doors to a porch, or cellar doors, too). Almost 30% of burglars enter a home through an unlocked door or window.. First floor windows and doors are especially well-liked by burglars—particularly when a burglar can be concealed behind overgrown vegetation. If you feel like your current locks aren’t cutting it or if you have recently moved into a new residence it may be a good time for an upgrade or re-key of your locks from Pop-A-Lock Omaha.

Large displays of holiday gifts should not be visible through the windows and doors of your home. What Thieves can easily see can easily become a temptation they just cannot resist. Most criminals can burglarize a home in less than ten minutes. Burglars look for homes that are easy targets. That’s why it doesn’t take long for most intruders to break into a house, get what they want, and take off before being noticed.

Indoor and outdoor lights should be on an automatic timer. One of the most important things to do before you leave on an extended trip is to invest in timers to help program your lights and electronics. It needs to look like you’re still at home. Motion sensor lights are also a good bet.

Leave a radio or television on so the house looks and sounds occupied. If someone comes to your door and hears noise from within, they are less apt to risk getting caught. The majority of break-ins are committed by burglars who live nearby. The typical burglar resides within two miles of the target home. Because they live close, it’s easy for them to learn your family’s daily schedule and strike when they know you’re not home. They may also check for signs that you’re out such as flyers or newspapers piling up at your door or trash cans left at the curb. When leaving home for an extended time, make sure to have a neighbor or family member watch your house and pick up your newspapers and mail.

Finally, we all love to tell the rest of the world how much fun we’re having but posting pictures of your tree with packages under it or announcing to the world on social media that you are out of town visiting family for the holidays, but this can be really dangerous. These posts may clue potential thieves that your house may be an easy target for a break-in. Make sure you understand your privacy settings on your social media and USE them. Better still, wait until you are home from your holiday trip to post the holiday photos.