Just like any holiday that we get to enjoy whether it is for just one day or several we have to heighten our security senses. Any holiday is also the time that many crooks favor the most, and thanksgiving is one of them.
This is the holiday where many families get together in one place, so it leaves a lot of homes empty for several hours. The neighbors around the empty homes are often quite busy with their own entertaining and may not notice anything remiss. A lot of strangers may be in the neighborhood visiting their families, so a crook is not as likely to draw much attention as being a stranger in the area.
The best steps to keep the home safe is to take the extra precautions to make sure the doors and windows are locked and the alarm is set. Don’t leave the garage door open when you leave as this can send a message to a crook lurking around that the family is away for the day.
If you don’t have the lights set on a timer then remember to leave a few of the interior ones on even though you may be leaving the home in the daylight hours.
These are the steps you want to take if you are going to be away. If you happen to be the one that is having the gathering then there are some different precautions that you want to take and your security won’t be focused around a potential break in.
Your caution is going to need to be focused around your cooking especially. It is not uncommon for some people to put their turkey in the oven then scoot out to the store for a few forgotten items. Leaving the turkey cooking with nobody home could create somewhat of a risk for fire. Generally speaking it shouldn’t be a problem if you are only going to be gone a short period of time, but do some extra checking around the store area to make sure its all clear. Don’t leave tea towels or any other items on top or near the stove and turn the heat down low until you get back. There are many people who pre-set their ovens to come on a certain time during the work week so dinner is almost cooked for them by the time they reach home. This is something that really demands some extra attention to details.
Make sure that your fire alert systems are all working properly, and don’t allow the kitchen to become crowded with guests when you are trying to cook a hot meal.
