Does Your Police Department Offer Vacation Watch?

Summer is here and many people are getting ready to pack their bags and go out of town on vacation. It’s always fun to plan for and go on a trip, but, many worry about leaving their homes unoccupied. One item on your preparation checklist should be to call, visit or go online to your local Police Department to sign up for their free "Vacation Watch" program. Many don’t realize that their police department may offer this free service.

When you sign up for this program, a police officer will check the exterior of your residence daily during the dates you specify when you are out of town. If any sign of forced entry or unexpected change (such as storm damage to your property) occurs, the police officer will refer the information provided on the form you filled out, and notify the emergency contacts you provided.

Chief Dwight Ingle, of the Clarksville Indiana Police Department, said that his department offers this free service. Police officers will drive by and check a house between one and three times a day while a family is out of town. “It makes people feel a lot more comfortable,” Ingle said. “It’s a good service for people.”

Extra police presence in neighborhoods can assist in deterring burglaries, but the biggest benefit of the Vacation Watch service is that people can be notified quickly if there is a problem. They also recommend that mail and newspaper delivery is stopped while you are on vacation and that you remember to leave key with one of your specified emergency contacts.

To see if your police department offers a service like this, give them a call, or do a search online for “vacation watch” or “police department vacation house checks”. Many of the police departments who do offer this service have a form you can fill out online, or you can stop by their office to fill out and submit your form. You must also notify them if you come back early for any reason. So, rest assured, relax and have a wonderful vacation.
1 Response
  1. Anonymous Says:

    My parents used to do this when I was a kid. You don't hear much about it now. Still good advice.

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