Vacation Crime Prevention Tips

Before you leave:

• Lock all doors and windows.
• Set your alarm/security system, if you have one.
• Make your home appear ‘lived in’. Set timers on the lights you normally use, and your TV.
• Leave your curtains and drapes as you normally would. Closing them all up indicates you’re away, and it prevents friends, neighbors, and police from seeing if anything is amiss.
• Stop newspaper delivery and mail service, or have family, a friend, or neighbor collect it for you.
• Ask a friend or neighbor to cut and water your lawn, and water your plants.
• Leave your trip plans, and emergency phone number, with someone you trust.
• Make copies and a record of your passport/s, credit cards, and traveler’s checks. Give a copy to a family member or friend for safe keeping. Keep a copy safe somewhere in your belongings separate from the originals.

On the Road:

• Never carry large amounts of cash. Use traveler’s checks or credit cards.
• Keep your plane, train, or bus tickets safe. They’re as valuable as cash.
• Carry your purse close to your body.
• Carry your wallet in an inside coat pocket or front pants pocket.
• Be aware of your surroundings. Ask the hotel/motel staff about problem areas.
• Avoid advertising you are a tourist by the way you dress.
• Select tour guides carefully.
• Make sure everyone you are traveling with knows the name, address, and phone number of the hotel.
• If members of your group separate, be sure they check in at pre-arranged times and locations. Exchange cell numbers.
• Don’t advertise on social media that you are away. Wait until after your vacation to update your social media friends about your trip.