Crime & Safety

Protect Your Home, Valuables While Away for the Holidays

The Gilroy Police Department offers vacation home checks for residents' holiday trips, and offers these simple tips to ward off burglaries and keep your home and valuables safe.

During the holiday season, unoccupied homes filled with new or unopened gifts are inviting targets for residential burglars.

If you're planning an out-of-town trip for the holidays—or any time of the year—there are simple steps you can take to help protect your home and belongings.

Firstly, the wants all local residents to know that they can request vacation house checks to be conducted while you're away on vacation. The department also encourages all residents to inquire about joining a Neighborhood Watch program, as members of such programs can help look after your home while you are away.

Find out what's happening in Gilroywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

GPD Sgt. and Daytime Watch Commander Daniel Castaneda said the GPD no longer conducts year-round neighborhood watch programs, but that they do have them when school's out during the holidays and in the summer.

"Having open communication with your neighbors is probably the best way to keep you neighborhood safe, the problem is that we no longer have a 100 percent active neighborhood watch program," Castaneda said.

Find out what's happening in Gilroywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"But neighbors can still help themselves by getting the paperwork and learning how to do it themselves."

Pamphlets and booklets instructing locals on how to conduct Neighborhood Watch programs in their own area of residence are available at the Gilroy Police Department on an availability basis.

For Neighborhood Watch information, contact Maribel Gutierrez at 846-0523.

In addition to those recommendations, here are some simple tips for protecting your home from becoming a target, and protecting your neighborhood from thieves.

  • Close and lock all windows and doors—even upstairs windows.
  • Stop mail and newspaper delivery while you are away, or have a trusted relative or friend pick up such items and deliveries. An overstuffed mailbox or piles of newspapers on your front door makes it obvious to would-be burglars that you are out of town.
  • Consider making the residence appear occupied by leaving on a television or radio in addition to lights on timers.
  • Inform trusted neighbors and friends of the duration of your trip and provide them with a way they can contact you in the case of an emergency.
  • Padlock side gates.
  • Leave a vehicle in the driveway.
  • Invest in quality locks and doors.
  • Secure your garage door.
  • Do not place gifts or valuables in plain view.
  • Avoid keeping large amounts of cash or valuables inside the residence; utilize a safe or security deposit box.
  • Use interior light timers or exterior motion detector lights.
  • Invest in a security system.
  • Engrave your valuables - this makes them much less attractive to thieves or burglars by making them harder to sell.
  • Keep your yards clean and free of debris or items which could conceal a thief.
  • Pre-program the city's non-emergency telephone number - 408 846-0350 - and the crime tip hotline - 408 846-0330 - into
    your cell phones.

Other information to help you increase your awareness in and around your neighborhood:

  • Criminals often pose as delivery personnel in order to gain access to your home or to check if anyone is present. Always ask for identification or call the police if something seems suspicious about your contact with such a
    person.
  • If you see strangers in your neighborhood knocking on random doors, climbing fences or looking into parked vehicles,call the police immediately.
  • Juveniles wandering the neighborhoods during school hours are most likely in violation of truancy. The Milpitas Police asks for the public's help by reporting them.
  • Pay attention to vehicles unfamiliar to your neighborhood or suspicious persons parked in front of your neighbors' houses.
  • When contacting the police department, try to provide as much information as possible.
    -Descriptors: gender, age, race, clothes, tattoos, etc.
    -Vehicles: make, model, color, and license plate.

For more information or to request that Gilroy Police periodically check on your home while you are away on vacation, contact the Gilroy Police Department at 7301 Hanna Street or call 846-0300.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.