When you go home for fall break, keep your belongings safe in your off-campus apartment or house by following these safety tips from Oxford Police Department (OPD) Sgt. Jim Squance:
- Participate in OPD's vacant house check program. You can fill out a form at OPD or online to have Oxford police check on your property at least once a day.
- Temporarily stop newspaper and mail delivery. Squance said having a stack of newspapers or a full mailbox are a tell that no one is home, leaving your home vulnerable.
- Give the appearance of being home. Squance suggests having lights and a radio or TV on a timer so people on the outside looking in would think you are home. Also, do not change answering machine messages to say you are not home.
- Take valuables home with you. "If you can take it home, take them," Squance said. "If you can't take it, make sure it's locked away somewhere out of plain view."
- Lock doors and windows. Make sure the last person out has locked all doors and windows, especially those in a basement or on the ground floor.
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