If a home is going to be empty for a long time, whether the occupants are going for summer vacation or the winter or holiday season, here are some suggestions from police officers to keep the property secure and discourage intruders:

Sign the house up for security checks from the local police department. Generally, the officers assigned to the area will keep an eye on the property at no charge.

• If there is a security system installed or in place, makes sure the security company knows the house will be empty and has an emergency contact. 
• Stop the delivery of newspaper and mail. Ask neighbors to keep an eye out for other unsolicited paper that may gather on the driveway or in the mailbox. 
• Arrange for a snow-removal or lawn care service. 
• If the property is winterized, post that information where it can be seen from the inside, but not the outside. 
• Remove anything from the house that is obviously valuable and tempting.
• Put the lights on timers. Don’t leave lights on all night because that will alert intruders that the house is unoccupied.
• Make sure to lock all the windows and doors. 
• Take a video of the house to make damages and theft easier to prove.