If you plan on leaving your home for several days to visit family for Christmas, police are warning you to wait until you get back to post photos and talk about your trip on social media sites like Facebook or Instagram.
“If you’re on a vacation, wait until you get back before you show off your vacation photos,” says Johnson County Sheriff Doug Cox. “What you’re telling some of the criminal element that may be monitoring those types of sites is that you’re out of town.”
Sheriff Cox adds that your vehicles parked outside your home are more likely to be a target for thieves if they see that you are many miles away from home for the holidays.
“In Johnson County, our residential burglaries are down but unfortunately thefts from vehicles are up,” according to Sheriff Cox.
“Residential burglaries will get sent to prison for many years. Whereas, if and when you get caught for breaking into a car, the punishment is not so severe,” says Sheriff Cox.
Officers also recommend if you plan on an extended leave of absence during the holidays to leave your lights on in your home, keep your valuables hidden out of sight and double check to make sure every door to your home and vehicles are locked before you leave.
