Not Home For The Holidays? BSO Will Keep An Eye On Your House

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) -Worried about protecting your property while you are out of town for the holidays? A little known program offered by the Broward Sheriff's Office will ease a little of that stress.

Under BSO's long-running Vacation Watch Program, deputies will conduct twice daily drive bys at residents' temporarily vacant homes, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

"It keeps our homes safe and our areas a safer place to live in, especially around the holidays when people know that there are extra gifts and money inside homes," said BSO Deputy Kari Pallotto, a crime prevention practitioner for the Weston district.

The free service is offered year round, but the program sees an uptick in registrations during the holiday season.

To have a patrol pass your house, residents can stop by the BSO district office in their neighborhood and fill out an official Vacation Watch form. The questionnaire asks several questions like how many lights will be left on, if there will be any cars in the driveway, and if anyone is expected to be dropping by.

BSO says the program is safer and more effective than having a neighbor watch you home, because burglars can track their schedules. BSO patrols are done at random times throughout the day and night.

Click Here for a list of BSO district offices to where you can register your home.

Source: The South Florida Sun-Sentinel