You've been waiting for this moment for 50 weeks....the start of your summer vacation!

The last thing you want to do is come back from said vacation to find your home has been broken into. That would ruin anyone's vacation, but the RCMP has some tips and advice to keep your property safe while you enjoy your holiday.

Constable Michael Hibbs says enlisting a neighbour to watch your place for you is a great idea but there are other people you could ask as well.  

"A good neighbour's always good to have around for that type of thing but if you have a friend at work or even a family member that's in the area that can look after your home."

Hibbs thinks a key thing is making your house look occupied while you're away.  

"Make sure you keep a lighted area in your home and if you have that good neigbour or family member maybe have them go in every day or every other day and switch lights around the house so it looks like the house is occupied.  Also make sure your curtains are closed.  If you have a vehicle in the driveway maybe have them reverse it in one day and park it head on the next day.  Keep your driveways and your front and back doors well lit so your neighbours can see what's going on."

While sharing pictures on social media is fun once you get back from your vacation, don't do it when planning a vacation or while you're away says Hibbs.  

"Let the people know who need to know, but stay away from social media.  Don't tell everybody about your vacation while you're on the vacation, when you get back you've got lots of photos and share them with your family and friends but stay away from that if you can because there's people watching social media all the time and they'll take advantage of anything that they see."

You can also go a long way in preventing break ins while you're away by a little work on your place prior to leaving.  Make sure you landscape the day before you leave.  Cut your grass lower to ensure it will look kept for the duration of your holiday.  If you have a key hidden under the front mat or a plant in case you misplace your keys, first Hibbs says find a better hiding place, and secondly put the key inside while you're on vacation.

 

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