As the summer draws to a close, many homeowners choose to squeeze in one last vacation before school starts again. These vacationers should be very aware of the potential risks of leaving their homes empty for days and know what they can do to keep their home and possessions safe while they're away. 

Lieutenant Brent Grill with the Van Buren Police Department says, "A lot of people don't have the means or money to get home protection, so there's some other things they can do."

Policemen recommend that vacationers make their homes look occupied even when they're not. They'll advise you to stop your mail and newspaper while you're gone so they don't pile up, and put an interior light or appliance on a timer so it will turn on periodically.  

"Set it so that it doesn't turn your lights on at the same time every day," says Sgt. Jarrard Copeland with the Fort Smith Police Department. "No one turns their lights or TV on at the same time when they get home."

One of the best things you can do, according to police, is to enlist a trusted neighbor's help.

"They can periodically come over to check your house, pick up your mail, newspapers, things like that which would normally pile up when somebody's gone for a period of time," says Lt. Grill.

Many city police departments, including those in Van Buren and Fort Smith, will also have extra patrols drive by hour home while you're gone. You can sign up for this service at any time but officers recommend signing up several days before your vacation starts. Officers also ask that you have a local contact that police can reach in case of an emergency. This contact should be a trusted one, though. Lt. Grill says the Van Buren Police Department doesn't see very many random burglaries; most of them are committed by a person familiar to the victim, whether it be a friend, neighbor, or family member.

If you take the necessary precautions before travel, you will have a more relaxing vacation that you'll be able to enjoy rather than constantly worrying about what surprises you'll find when you return.