The Newport Beach Police Department wishes you and your family a safe and happy holiday season !

As you go about your holiday preparations and celebrations , please keep the following crime prevention tips in mind . At home for the holidays :

• Always lock all doors and windows whenever you leave your home . Burglars often operate during the day , so don ’ t forget to secure your home and set your alarm when you make a quick trip to the store or take the dog for a walk .

• Use timers to turn on a radio and lights . Timers are not just for vacation time , but should be used daily to keep your home well-lit and to give the appearance that someone is there .

• If you decorate a live tree , always turn off tree lights when you are away to prevent a fire .

• Avoid displaying holiday gifts and other valuables in places where they will be easily seen from your windows or doors .

• Always keep your porch lights on from dusk to dawn using photocells and / or timers .

• Don ’ t let home deliveries pile-up at your front door , they can attract a package thief or home burglar . Remember you have options to consider when ordering online or shipping packages :

• UPS and FedEx both offer customers the ability to customize the time and date of their delivery for when they will be home .

• Track your delivery online . Check

your package ’ s delivery status for an estimated delivery time and try to be home when it arrives . When you leave for dinner or to go out for the evening :

Consider leaving some lights and the TV on and calling out to a fictitious family member or roommate ( who will “ stay home ”). For example , “ Tom , don ’ t forget to let the dog out !” or “ Make sure you take the casserole out of the oven when the timer goes off ” or any other statement that would imply ( to anyone who might be watching your home ) that someone is still inside while you are gone .

Call the police to report anything suspicious . If you see an unfamiliar vehicle , suspicious person , or anything out of the ordinary when leaving your home , call NBPD ’ s non-emergency line at ( 949 ) 644-3717 . If you go away for the holidays :

• Have a trusted neighbor keep an eye on your home and pick-up your newspapers and mail .

• Don ’ t advertise that you are out of town on social media .

• Secure your garage door with a vacation bolt or pad lock and disable the remote access .

• If you ’ re looking for holiday gift ideas , consider one of these devices for increased home security : TV simulators ( these devices make it look as though someone is inside watching TV ), doorbell camera , motion activated security cameras that send an immediate notification to your smartphone , smart home timers , lights and lightbulbs .