Protecting Merced homes during vacation takes planning

Home security – at any time, but especially when you’re away on vacation – is about making a potential burglar think twice about entering a home with so many security measures. Dead bolts. Check. Alarm system. Check. Lights on timers. Check.

But the most impenetrable layer of security is a strong network of neighborhood communications, according to Merced police. “The best thing people can do is look out for one another,” Capt. Tom Trindad said.

If no Neighborhood Watch exists in the area, the private social network Nextdoor may be an option for homeowners. Still others might want to ask at least one neighbor they trust to keep an eye on the house, officials said.

Trindad said people preparing to leave for an extended vacation should make sure to put a hold on mail and newspapers so they don’t pile up and give potential burglars a sign that no one is home. Setting lights on timers and leaving talk radio on is also an option to deter someone staking out a house to burglarize.

Burglar alarms, deadbolts and other security measures are all good ideas, he said. It’s up to the homeowner and what they can afford to put those to use.

Trindad said anything that will make a burglar unsure or think that breaking in will take too long is helpful. “They know the longer they stay inside the residence is time somebody can call police and say, ‘There’s something suspicious going on with my neighbor’s house,’ ” he said.

Police also recommend writing down the serial numbers of electronics or otherwise marking them, as well as taking pictures of jewelry or other items. Those measures increase the chance the items can be returned if they are taken.

Matt Hoffman, the owner of Hoffman Electronic Systems in Atwater, said his company sees an uptick in alerts during the summer and around Christmastime.

In the age of smartphones, he said, home safety brings a few new wrinkles. “When you are traveling, don’t be updating your social media sites,” he said.

Even though a vacationer may trust their social media “friends,” the online postings on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or other sites are sometimes visible to others outside of their immediate circle, he noted. An untrustworthy person may be able to see the vacationer is not home.

On the flip side, many modern alarms can be controlled using a smartphone, Hoffman said, which may allow a homeowner to keep an eye on the home themselves.

Buying a doorknob at a home improvement store could be problematic, he said, because others can buy one with a similar key. Instead, he recommends having the door locks installed by a professional locksmith.

Making sure windows are securely closed is important. “You’re almost inviting somebody to try to get in by leaving your windows open,” he said. “What you’re gaining by trying to keep your house a little bit cooler at night, you’re certainly losing from a security standpoint.”

To start a Neighborhood Watch in Merced, call Eugene Drummond Jr. at (209) 385-6297.

Modesto Bee City Editor Deke Farrow contributed to this report.

This story was originally published June 22, 2015 at 5:48 PM with the headline "Protecting Merced homes during vacation takes planning."