NEW ALBANY, Miss. (WTVA) -- According to local authorities, burglaries and home break-ins go up during the holiday season.
"Especially with the economy being soft like it is, naturally, it's a bigger opportunity for folks to try to get a little money for Christmas," said New Albany Police Chief David Grisham.
A lot of people are traveling or out of town for Christmas, and their homes are left looking like nobody's home.
There are ways to prevent that.
"Well, what we like for people to do is to call us and let us know if they are going to be out of town for an extended amount of time. There are certain things we like to tell them to do. We want to try to make their home look like someone is there," said Grisham.
Police Sergeant Mark Cossitt has always done his part with his fellow officers to patrol and watch out for those who are leaving town.
"We try to patrol our neighborhoods and businesses that we know are going to be closed or anything like that. We've had some people request us to patrol certain areas and their property when they know they are going to be out of town," said Cossitt.
Chief David Grisham offered some tips to help your house seem like someone is there to ward off any possible crime.
"Don't leave your mail stacked up, don't leave four or five papers in your front yard, don't leave your house dark all the time and if vehicles haven't been moved, that's a pretty good sign that no one is home. Also, have someone come by and get your mail and papers," added Grisham.
The chief also advises to leave a light or radio on to further give the notion that someone is home.
