The Chapel Hill Police Department has some tips to share this holiday season to keep you and your home safe.

Chapel Hill Police say they experience higher rates of property crime during the holiday season and are increasing patrols in residential areas. The following holiday safety tips will assure you have a safe and happy holiday:

– Never leave any packages in your vehicle in plain sight. Always take them with you or lock them in your trunk.

– Never leave any personal items in your vehicle in plain sight. This includes money, credit cards, cell phones, purses and GPS Units. Take these items with you when you leave your vehicle.

– Always lock and secure all doors and windows on your home and vehicles.

-Leave a radio or TV on to give the impression that someone is home. Another good idea is to place lights on a timer and utilize motion activated lights on the outside of your home.

– If you receive an expensive or large gift, such as a TV, don’t leave the box in front of your house as an invitation to thieves. Rather dispose of the box in another container or turn the box inside out.

– When you leave, turn your heat down low but don’t shut it off completely to avoid the pipes freezing.

– The Chapel Hill Police Department is offering house checks while you’re gone. Go to Chapel Hill Police House Checks to sign up.

Related Stories
‹
New UNC Police Chief Aims to 'Make Campus Proud' of Department 
With students coming back to campus and the first week of classes commencing, newly hired UNC chief of police Brian James says he is excited to build community trust and keep the school safe this semester.
Local Lore: Old Christmas
The Christmas holiday has more or less been the same for the past couple hundred years, drawing celebration inspiration from Christian and pagan tradition alike to create the season as we know it today. But in coastal North Carolina, you’ll likely find a few people still celebrating Christmas as it once was — before the […]
97.9 The Hill's Staff Picks: Holiday Decorations
Welcome to the tenth edition of 97.9 The Hill’s Staff Picks. This time around, we wanted to get into the spirit of the season. So, we asked our staff to share their all-time favorite holiday decoration! Among the myriad of festive adornments, one timeless favorite among our staff is the artful display of holiday posters. […]
Durham Sheriff Talks Crime, Safety and Protests with Latinx Community
With coronavirus concerns, crimes, racial injustice and protests, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office is working towards unity and continued safety. Durham Sheriff Clarence Birkhead spoke with radio personality ‘El Superman’ of La Ke Buena to discuss Latinx community outreach during this tumultuous time. As the country moves into its fourth month of uncertainty amid the […]
Christmas in the Carolinas: How Holidays Have Changed
The Christmas holiday has more or less been the same for the past couple hundred years, drawing celebration inspiration from Christian and pagan tradition alike to create the season as we know it today. But in coastal North Carolina, you’ll likely find a few people still celebrating Christmas as it once was — before the […]
One on One: A Christmas Fool
Imagine the Bethlehem Christmas story set in a shopping mall in eastern North Carolina. Think of a pet store in that mall as a manger scene and the manager of the store as a Joseph figure who takes care of a young homeless woman about to deliver a child on Christmas Eve. Now you are […]
Chapel Hill Police Receive Multiple Reports of 'Virtual Kidnappings'
Chapel Hill Police are warning residents against “virtual kidnappings.” This is the latest attempt from local law enforcement to warn residents about ongoing scams. In the scenario put forward by Chapel Hill Police, in virtual kidnappings no one has actually been kidnapped but “through deceptions and threats, they coerce victims to pay a quick ransom […]
Carrboro Police Seeking Help Identifying Individual
Police say the incident in question is in reference to a breaking and entering a vehicle on December 5 where “financial transaction cards were taken.”**** Carrboro Police are asking for information identifying an individual in connection with what authorities are describing as “an incident that occurred at Anderson Park.” Anyone with information regarding the […]
Chapel Hill Police Investigating Hit and Run
Chapel Hill Police are asking for information related to a hit-and-run that occurred early Wednesday morning. Officers were called to an area near the intersection of Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard and Weaver Dairy Road at 4:51 Wednesday morning to a report of a “person lying in the road,” according to police. The victim told […]
Human Remains Discovered in Orange County
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after human remains were discovered on Tuesday. Authorities say “skeletal remains” were recovered in a wooded area near 508 Buckhorn Road in Mebane just before 12:30 Tuesday afternoon. Personnel from the North Carolina Department of Transportation discovered the remains near the entrance of the Buckhorn Flea Market, according […]
›