Sugar Land Police Department’s Summer Travel Safety Tips
Ahhh vacations… a time to unwind, take a breather and enjoy yourself. While people love vacations (especially ones that let them escape this heat!) as much as the next person, going out of town can make you and your home more vulnerable to crime.
Here are a couple steps you can take to keep your vacation from turning into a headache:
1. Enroll your home in SLPD’s House Watch program
2. Let your neighbors know you’re going out of town
3. Arrange for someone to pick up any newspapers or flyers that might get left at the house while you are away
4. Contact your bank and credit card company to let them know you will be traveling
The House Watch Program is designed to provide Sugar Land homeowners a means of having their residence checked periodically by an officer when they are away from home on vacation or an extended weekend.
In order for a residence to be placed on a house watch , the following criteria should be met:
*Your house must be located within Sugar Land city limits
*The residence must be vacated for more than 72 hours
*No other people may be going into or around the residence while it is unoccupied
*The occupant must have established residency at the location
*The residence may not remain on the watch for more than three weeks
The program is intended to be a deterrent to illegal entry of the residence. It is a good crime prevention tool. The department cannot, however, place homes which are vacant or are subject to be shown by a real estate agent on house watch.
To find out more information on the Sugar Land Police Department’s House Watch program, including how to enroll, visit:
www.sugarlandtx.gov/ 1548/Housewatch