Saturday, 07/15/06

By KAREN-LEE RYAN

Staff Writer

As the summer temperatures rise, so do residential break-ins.

FBI crime records show that, from 2000 to 2004, home burglaries and other property crimes consistently peaked during the month of July, which is also the nation's top vacation month. And the same holds true in Nashville, according to Sgt. John Patton, who has served as the acting lieutenant of the burglary section for Metro Nashville Police Department. ''Normally our burglaries go up a little bit during the summer months.'' 

He says a potential burglar may notice that the car in the driveway doesn't move for days in a row, the trash container doesn't get moved to the curb and the porch light stays on 24 hours a day. ''Have somebody come by and check on the house every day,'' he recommends. Also, tell your neighbors you're headed out of town, he says, so they can help keep watch on the property.

Whether or not you're planning to spend time away from home this summer, take these precautions, recommended by Master Lock:

• Don't hide spare keys outside your home — burglars will know where to look for them. 
• Keep entry doors, windows and the garage door closed and locked while you're at home and away. 
• Provide signs of activity in your home while you're on vacation: keep a car parked in the driveway; put interior and exterior lights on a timer; cut the grass short just before you depart, and ask a neighbor to trim it if you'll be gone for an extended period. 
• Keep the perimeter of your home well-lighted. Installing low-voltage outdoor lighting is a cost-effective way to discourage intruders. 
• Avoid including personal information on your voice mail, and never indicate you are out of town or away from home. 
• Avoid leaving large empty boxes for days before trash collection — they may alert burglars to expensive new purchases inside your home. 
• Overgrown shrubs give would-be robbers a place to hide, so keep shrubs trimmed to below window level. 
• Outfit ground-level windows with Venetian blinds. Thieves dislike them because they are awkward and noisy to get past, plus they prevent anyone from seeing what's inside your home. 
• Use alarms on windows and doors to give you peace of mind and thieves an audible warning that police may be on their way.