Video: Making Sure You Lock Up Your Home This Holiday Season

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)-The Christmas season is finally upon us.

While many people are planning to travel out of town for the holiday, this also makes an ideal time for robbers to try and break into homes.

For Mississippi State University students, their Christmas break is just around the corner, and for students like Bernard Shelton, that means leaving the city of Starkville and going out of town.

“I’m going to be going to Tupelo and hanging out with my family,” said Shelton, who’s a senior at MSU.  “We have a lot of family coming from out of town so we’re going to be just hanging out, cooking, and just celebrating together.”

But before he hits the road,  Shelton said he knows the importance of making sure his apartment and belongings are secured.

“Well this time of year is a time when some people may want to try to be mischievous or take advantage, because they know a lot of people will be out of town and won’t be able to see their stuff everyday,” said Shelton.

So with that in mind, the landscape architect major has a few precautionary measures he’s taking before leaving for the holiday.

“I’m planning on locking all of my doors and windows before I leave, and I’m even going to have some of my neighbors looking out for me to let me know if anything odd or peculiar happens while I’m gone,” Shelton explained.

“The holidays, I think that’s pretty much anywhere that you do sometimes see an increase in burglaries,” said Corporal Brandon Lovelady, public information officer with the Starkville Police Department.

Corporal Lovelady said while many people might be out of town on vacation during the holiday to Starkville Police Department won’t.

“In addition to our typical patrol routes and procedures, we’re going to have increase patrol in neighborhoods, apartment complexes,” said Lovelady.

Along with urging everyone to lock their doors it’s a form of neighborhood watch, the department also has a Vacation Home Check form they’re giving out to residents to help prevent potential break-ins.

“You can by the station, fill out the form and we will have an officer come by an check your home every 24  hours randomly,” said Lovelady.

If anyone in the Starkville area would like a copy of the Vacation Home Check Form, stop by the police station at the Sportsplex located on 405 Lynn Lane in Starkville