Vacation Preparation Tips - Make Sure Your Home is Safe

Vacation Safety Tips for Your Home*

Try these tips to protect your home and property:
  • Your goal should be for your home to appear lived in. Use timers to control lights.
  • Inform as few people as possible of your vacation plans. This includes newspaper, mail carriers, gardeners, pool cleaners, etc.
  • Ask a trusted neighbor to keep an eye on your home while you are gone and to report any suspicious or criminal activity to the Police Department (310.378.4211).
  • Give emergency phone numbers, your itinerary and a house key to your trusted neighbor.
  • Ask your neighbor to pick up your newspaper, mail and other deliveries daily.
  • Ask your neighbor to park their vehicle in your driveway occasionally.
  • Arrange to have the lawn mowed to ensure the house looks lived in and attended to. 
  • Install dusk-to-dawn (photo cell) or motion sensor lights on all outdoor lights. Use automatic timers on a radio and lamps to simulate occupancy. Set these for your normal routine. 
  • Don’t post your vacation plans or photos on social networking sites.
  • Lock all outside doors using quality deadbolt locks and shut and lock your windows. Lock your garage door.
  • Use your home alarm if you have one.
  • Store valuables in a safety deposit box or other secure location.


For more information, contact the PVE Police Department Community Relations Officer at (310) 378-4211.

*The tips and information on this page are provided as a service to PVE Residents as a way to help protect them from harm. We have done our best to get this information from reliable sources.  Residents should take steps to confirm if these are right for their situation.

PVE PD Offers Vacation Checks

Did you know that your PVE Police Department will provide Vacation Checks on your home • and property while you are away overnight?  ​For more information, contact the PVE Police Department Community Relations Officer at (310) 378-4211.