PANAMA CITY, FL. (WMBB) — The Bay County Sheriff’s Office is starting the Holiday Home Check.
This idea came up almost 15 years ago to decrease property crime rates. Last year 1 in 57 people in the state of Florida were victims of property crime. The program lets deputies stop by your home at least once a day to keep an eye on things. Bay County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Ruth Corley says they have a few tips you can follow to reduce your chances of being victimized.
“You come back and you’re going through your things and you’re unpacking all of your items or your gifts, don’t put the boxes out in front of the house because that’s just advertising everybody. What you may have gotten is a new TV or a new computer or whatever it might be, you want to break down those boxes and put them in the garbage can,” said Corley.
Besides keeping your house safe Corley says, Vehicles are more concerning for theft.
“We have more car burglaries than burglaries than we do anything else. So first and foremost, if you’ve got presents in your car, whether you’re in the parking lot of the store or whether you’re at home, don’t leave them in your car,” said Corley.
The program is actually provided all year long, and Corley says it’s for every Bay County Resident.
“Anyone, anywhere in Bay County that wants their home to have extra eyes while they’re out of town. We’re glad to do it absolutely anywhere. We’ll be glad to come by and give it some extra eyes, it gives you a little peace of mind when you’re going to be out of town for a while, especially if you don’t have family in town that can go by,” said Corley.
If you would like to sign up for the Holiday Home Check, call the Bay County Sheriff’s office at (850)-747-4700 and ask for dispatch.
For their website, you can click here.
