It's that time of year again--time for cold weather, Christmas trees, shopping and, of course, break-ins while students are away.
Preventing burglaries is a joint effort between citizens and the Auburn Police Department, said Capt. Tom Stofer of the Auburn Police Department.
Students leaving town for the holidays can prepare their homes by performing several tasks.
"Make sure that you lock and secure all windows and doors," Stofer said. "A lot of times break-ins--it's kind of a crime of opportunity.
"The burglar will take the path of least resistance, so if they can find a window or a door unlocked or open, that's the way they'll enter the residence."
Stofer said it is also important to make a residence look lived-in during an absence.
"My suggestion to do is to put a small radio and some lights on timers that come on periodically throughout the day and the night that would give the appearance of someone being home," Stofer said.
Leaving a car parked in front of the residence and having mail forwarded are other ways people can protect their homes.
Those staying in town can help prevent burglaries as well.
"For those people that are going to stay here and aren't gonna travel during the holidays, it's especially important that those people report any suspicious activity to us," Stofer said. "So if you're a neighbor keeping an eye on your neighbor's apartment unit and you see something at that apartment unit that looks suspicious, please give us a call. It's not an inconvenience--that's our job."
The patrol division increases its presence in vacated residential areas.
Students can call the APD at 334-844-3150 during business hours and 334-844-3100 after business hours to ask an officer to check their home several times during their absence.
It is also important for people to remove valuables from their homes.
"They're after jewelry, guns, any type of electronic equipment--a popular thing right now is flat-screen televisions--anything that they can sell on the street somewhere to make a dollar," Stofer said.
Management staff of residential properties often take extra precautions to protect students while they are gone.
"We provide security each time students are away, and then we have gates and cameras," said Tanya Grooms, office manager at Ridgewood Village, a mobile home community on Webster Road.
Grooms said Ridgewood had no break-ins during Thanksgiving break.
"(The security guard) sits at the front entrance, and he checks to make sure everyone that comes in is a resident, and if they're not, then he finds out who they're here to see," Grooms said.
Prestige sends out notices to its renters reminding them about holiday precautions that are often overlooked, said Mark Jones, owner/broker of Prestige Properties.
Jones said many people forget to lock their dead bolts before they leave, making their homes easy targets for break-ins.
"Traditionally, everybody just goes in and out and locks their doorknob," Jones said. "I would say a high majority of people forget to lock their dead bolts."
Another oversight of many residents is renter's insurance, he said.
"It is so cheap--$15, $20 a month or whatever--but it's just so valuable in a situation like that," Jones said.
Renter's insurance reimburses a resident after a burglary and can be obtained independently or through an extension of a parent's homeowner's insurance.
Stofer said that although break-ins are more common in student housing during school breaks, people should take precautions year-round--burglaries can happen anywhere, anytime.
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