Make Sure You Have a Safe and Secure Holiday

Yes, burglaries do spike between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Plenty of on-line crime reports have demonstrated this fact in recent weeks, and there are ample statistics on holiday burglaries from the FBI and others who track residential crime. And in this news article from Roswell, New Mexico, you’ll see exactly what I writing about.

Burglars were busy over the Thanksgiving weekend in southeastern New Mexico. And the tactics they used to get what they wanted were downright scary. In some of the recent cases, the victims weren't making themselves easy targets, but that didn't stop the thieves who were armed and violent. Over the weekend there were at least ten burglaries reported to Roswell Police.

Just the Facts, Ma’am

"This time of year we tend to see a rise in burglaries, just goes hand in hand with the season," said Sgt. Ron Smith, of Roswell Police Crime Scene Unit. At least three homes had doors kicked in, knocking one door completely off the frame. One man was home when someone burst through his front door, pointed a gun at him and ordered him to get on the ground. But the homeowner had his cell phone in hand and dialed 9-1-1. The suspects fled when they realized what he did.

This homeowner was lucky, as we know from other stories when homeowners have confronted burglars in the home. The best defense: a monitored home alarm system that can notify police, no matter what the situation may be.

Burglary rate high during holidays: krqe.com

Burglars Keep Targeting the Same Items

One couple was away for Thanksgiving when burglars kicked in their back door. The crooks went right past the family's pit bull guard dog, and proceeded to ransack their house. They stole a TV along with video games, a DVD player and a rifle. One victim said she's thankful she wasn't home when burglars hit her apartment over the weekend. "The door was kicked in, the frame was off the door, and they had taken PlayStation 2, DVD player, all the DVDs, china cabinets were broken, glass everywhere," she recalled.

What You Can Do

Police have some advice on how to react if something like this happens. "Let people know you're there, do something to make them know that they're not alone," Smith said. "It could be potentially dangerous, but they don't want to have to deal with you; burglars tend to want to get away versus do harm." Police said more than 90-percent of property crimes are drug related.

And of course, you can read and follow FrontPoint’s top tips for holiday home safety.

FrontPoint is committed to increasing your safety and peace of mind – after all, protecting homes and families is what we do. We like to share helpful tips and advice: it’s our goal to be your resource for crime statistics, burglar behaviors, and the latest technologies to thwart intruders. And yes, FrontPoint is the only alarm company in the country to use safer cellular monitoring on every system we sell – and charge less for it. But what people really know us for is our smarter Interactive level of monitoring. Make sure your home is protected: by FrontPoint, the leader in wireless home security, and the #1 ranked alarm company in the US. And we wish you the happiest - and safest - of holidays!