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honeymoon-robbers-prevention

Full Text:

BRIDES (special section) Before You Leave

A vacant home is an open invitation to burglars. Before you leave for your

honeymoon -- or any trip where you will be away from your home for an extended

period -- a few precautions should be taken to insure you don't come home to

the heartbreak of a home that has been broken in to.

Stop newspaper and mail delivery, or have someone pick up your deliveries for

you every day.

Put timers on lamps, and a radio, if possible. Light and sound are good

prevention tools.

Tell a few neighbors you will be away and ask them to keep an eye out for

anyone suspicious. For long-term vacations or business trips, you may want to

consider hiring a house-sitter.

Leave your answering machine on. Because so many use these machines to screen

their incoming phone calls, burglars will never really know if you are home or

just screening unwanted calls.

Remember, though, to check your messages by remote or have someone check

messages for you, because a buildup of messages can also become obvious for

anyone calling your home.

Let the police know you will be out of town, and for how long. Patrol cars may

be able to make a pass by your home, which will not only keep the police alert

to your home but also keep burglars away.

(courtesy SNET)