Fortify Your College Home Before Leaving for Spring Break

It's Friday afternoon, the last day before spring break, and you're ready to get out of dodge.

Not so fast. The Prince George's County Police are sharing safety tips, some of them specifically helpful for keeping your College Park home safe while you're away. (The complete list of safety tips accompanies this post.):

• Leave lights on when you go out. If you are going to be away for a length of time, connect some lamps to automatic timers to turn them on in the evening and off during the day.
• Don't allow daily deliveries of mail, newspapers or flyers to build up while you are away. Arrange with the Post Office to hold your mail, or arrange for a friend, roommate or neighbor to pick it up regularly.
• Check your locks on doors and windows and replace them with secure devices as necessary.
• Install Computer Lojack Software on home computers or purchase STOP Tags, which help prevent theft and assist the recovery of stolen property. Call 301-405-7032 for more information.
• Consider an alarm system for home or office security. It provides peace of mind to homeowners, especially while on vacation.
• Lock all outside doors and windows before you leave your dorm, house, apartment or before going to bed. Even if it is for a short time, lock your doors.