LENEXA, Kan. — Many people travel for the holiday season.
Lenexa police are giving the gift of keeping an extra eye on their residents’ homes while they’re gone.
“We will have an officer periodically take a walk around your house and make sure doors are secure, everything looks fine, nothing suspicious going on,” said Officer Danny Chavez with the Lenexa Police Department.
It’s called the Vacation House Watch Program.
“We ask people to leave a couple of contact points that are either here in town or where we can reach you at your vacation destination,” Chavez said. “So if we do find something that looks out of place, we can call and either have a local person respond to go through the house with officers.”
It's available year-round, and it’s free.
“I think probably the best part is the peace of mind that it gives people -- like just the security knowing their home is going to be safe while they're gone,” Lenexa resident David Goodwin said.
While this option is only for Lenexa residents, there are a few basic tips to keep your house safe if you're leaving for the holidays.
Chavez said you don’t want your house to look unoccupied.
“Leaving porch lights on, packages this time of year, a lot of packages being delivered, a lot of people doing last minute holiday shopping, making sure those aren't accumulating on your porch or front stoop," Chavez said.
Also, get to know your neighbors.
“You'd be surprised by how much a good set of eyes and ears in the neighborhood keeps an eye on things,” Chavez said. “We've had folks even within the last year at Lenexa who forwarded burglaries.”
If you’re interested in learning more about this program, click here.
