Vacation Watch Is your home going to be unattended for an extended amount of time? If so, don’t leave your home as an easy target for a burglar. You can reduce the possibility that your home will be burglarized or vandalized while you are gone by using the following checklist before you leave:
1. Arrange with a trusted person to pick up and hold your mail and newspapers so they don’t accumulate. If this is not possible, notify your news carrier and the post office to hold these deliveries.
2. Make arrangements to have the lawn mowed or snow shoveled while you are gone. Have a trusted person check daily to remove papers and circulars left on your door and in your yard.
3. If you have valuables in your home, take them to your bank deposit box or other secure location. Deposit extra cash in your bank account.
4. Make sure any broken windows, door locks, or window locks are repaired and that all sliding doors and windows are secured with a bar.
5. Set lamp timers to turn on lights and a radio or television periodically in the evening to give your home a "lived-in look".
6. Arrange with a trusted person to watch your home and give them a spare key. Let them know where and how you can be reached in case of an emergency. Write their telephone number down so you can check with them during your trip. Let the trusted person know of anyone who might have legitimate access to the house while you are away.
7. Make certain that all windows and doors are closed and locked. Lock your garage door(s). Take a walk around the house and check all doors and windows to ensure they are secured.
Lastly, notify the Itasca Police Department that you are leaving and the details of your extended absence. While the police department cannot guarantee that your home will not be burglarized or vandalized while you are gone, providing this information will allow members of the police department to make checks on the exterior of your home.
To request a "Vacation Watch" for your home please contact the police department at 630-773-1004 or
download the form and print it out and fax it to 630-773-2734.
This service is available only to those residents residing within the Village of Itasca
