Sheriff's Office Offers Tips To Help Prevent Home Invasions

This holiday season, many residents will be traveling to visit friends and family, or just leaving their homes for extended periods to shop. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Queen Creek Office would like to offer the following tips to help prevent your home from being burglarized while no one is at home:

- Gifts and valuables should be kept out of sight and away from windows.
- If you are traveling, ask a neighbor to watch your house. If you have an alarm system, use it!
- Put timers on different lights throughout the interior and exterior of the house.
- Have newspapers, mail and deliveries held or picked up by someone you trust.
- Take a home inventory of your valuables and record serial numbers; engrave property with your e-mail address or phone number. Photograph your items.
- Do not publicize that you will be out of town for the holidays on voicemail messages, social media sites or to others whom you don't know.

To report a crime in progress, please call 911. To report a crime that has already happened without suspect or injury, please call the Maricopa County's Sheriff Office 602-876-1011.