CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – Summer vacations are beginning, and police say crooks are hoping to pounce on your empty house while you're away.
Longtime Coral Springs resident Marcia Marques said she did not want to be a victim when she went on a trip, so she took advantage of the police department's vacation watch program.
"The vacation watch program that we run in the city of Coral Springs basically assigns an officer that's assigned to that zone for the day, or an additional officer, to come by the home," said Officer Glenn Roberts.
The officer will check on a residence once a day, every day, for up to a month. The service is free.
Marques said knowing a police officer was getting out of his or her patrol car and checking on her house offered great peace of mind.
"I didn't worry about it. I knew it was in good hands," she said.
Crime prevention experts say other crime deterrents include: keeping some blinds open, having the Post Office hold mail, putting lights on timers and keeping a car in the driveway. Making a house appear as though someone is home is a turnoff for crooks.
Roberts said several police departments in South Florida offer similar vacation watch services, homeowners just aren't aware they exist.
Click here for more information on the Coral Springs vacation watch program.
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