SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — The holiday season is here and law enforcement agencies are warning about burglars waiting to steal holiday cheer.
If you're planning to travel for the holiday weekend, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office and police departments want you to be aware of possible home break-ins.
"A lot of these crooks are driving around neighborhoods fully expecting folks to be on vacation. They're just very opportunist. They're just vultures and they're gonna be looking for the easiest prey," said Sgt. Amar Gandhi, spokesperson for the sheriff's office.
Every holiday season, almost half a million homes are burglarized in the United States.
December rates of robbery and personal larceny are 20% higher than the average monthly rates of these crimes, according to Deep Sentinal, which offers video systems with live security guards.
But there are ways to protect yourself.
"Big thing if you are leaving your home, take some common sense precautions. If you've got gifts that are laid out under the Christmas tree. I know we like to have them presented, shown off from our front door. Try to hide that stuff the best you can. At least close your curtains," said Gandhi.
The sheriff's office also says another big tip is having a home security system in place and making sure it's armed.
Gandhi says surveillance cameras, like a ring camera, can give a real-life look at what's happening at home.
The Citrus Heights Police Department says you should double-check all exterior doors with sturdy deadbolts before leaving and try to maintain the illusion of someone being home — including keeping your travel plans off of social media until you return.
The Sacramento Police Department says if you have a trusted neighbor, let them know you're going out of town and ask them to keep an eye out.
"A lot of neighborhoods have a neighborhood watch. We also have off-duty patrols for a lot of neighborhoods that hire that," said Gandhi.
Gandhi says it doesn't necessarily matter where you live, but whether you communicate with your neighbors.
"It's the neighbors that don't talk to each other. Those are the ones we find that are getting victimized. So, it's not centralized to one area or one social economic class by another. Its do you know your neighbors? Talk to them," said Sgt. Gandhi.
Many police departments provide a vacation check-in program, but in many cases, you need to set things up days in advance.
