"Memorial day is coming and so is the summer. Time when families have the opportunity to take some time out and to leave town on vacation and to have some fun away from home. While you are away, are your valuables safe? Common sense tells us to lock our doors, make sure the coffee maker and electronics are off and to put a timer on a light to give the appearance that we are home. But what about other things that you should consider before you leave your home unprotected. The following are some things to consider before you leave.

1. Make sure that you have stopped the newspaper
2. Make sure that your valuables are in a good safe. This is an important step. Not just your valuable jewelry, silver and other collectibles, but you need to put birth certificates, credit cards, social security cards and all other items that will give a burglar access to your identity. Make sure your safe is both burglary and fire resistant and that it is bolted down. A safe up to 1000 pounds is considered portable in the industry and can be easily moved with a refrigerator dolly.
3. Make sure to have someone stop by periodically to check on your home and make sure that no one has come in and disturbed your property.
4. Do not leave a message on your voice mail that you are out of town.
5. You can even leave a radio playing inside your home, rather than have music playing, turn on a talk radio station. This will give the illusion that someone may be home having a conversation if someone is looking to break in.
6. Make sure any weapons are secured safely also. Do not leave them in the night stand or under the mattress. They need to be locked in a gun safe to protect you from liability if someone steals it and commits a crime with it. This is a good practice even if you are not going on vacation. Lock up your handgun in a good hand gun safe and this will protect your kids as well, as you.
7. Laptops, hard drives, DVD players, as well as i-pods, cell phones and other electronics should also be placed in a home safe to keep them protected from burglary and fire, while you are away.

Sometimes in the excitement of time away from home and the regular routine helps you to overlook the importance of securing your home and keeping it safe, so it is the same when you get home. Take an extra minute to stop and make sure your valuables are in a home safe to keep them out of the hands of the criminals. "