NJ sheriff says your home might easy pickings for burglars
A new survey from ooma.com shows 6 in 10 Americans leave their windows open when they are away while 4 in 10 leave their doors unlocked — among other security goofs.
Also, 63 percent of the 1,000 people in the survey say they do not have a security system. Nearly 1 in 4 say they believe their neighborhood or surroundings put their home at risk.
Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden says locking doors and windows while away on vacation is square one.
"It just starts with the basics of common sense," he says.
"Other things that I think people do not think of before they go away or secure their home is just simple things. Timers on lights. Having outdoor lights with some type of motion sensor. Obviously, if you do not have an alarm system, there are simplified systems out there, like Ring doorbells and the like that have just a wi-fi camera built in, and have a motion detection mechanism built in."
Golden says cutting back bushes outside to make your home more visible, and stopping mail and newspapers while you are away are also important.
He also says hold those Facebook pics of your vacation might not be a good idea while you're away.
"In our day of social media, do not advertise that you are away. So many times, we see family members on Facebook publishing that they are away on vacation. And you do not think about it."
Golden says you want to convey to the world that you are home, even when you're not.
Joe Cutter is the afternoon news anchor on New Jersey 101.5
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