YOUNGSVILLE, La. — Summer is here, and what’s summer without a vacation?
As your family plans vacations, you might start feeling anxious about leaving your home. But if you live in Youngsville, the Police Department has you covered with their vacation patrol service. It's aimed at providing peace of mind so you can truly relax and enjoy your getaway.
The department is offering a "Vacation Patrol" to residents of the city. As you plan your vacation, you can fill out a form with the dates and times you'll be away, and the department says that officers will regularly patrol and monitor your property, keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity.
During vacation periods, homes can become prime targets for burglars. The Insurance Information Institute reports that burglaries spike during the summer months, with an alarming 1.2 million break-ins occurring annually with the most common time of break ins happening between 10am and 3pm.
With the added security, residents like Betty Rhea Deloach says she can enjoy their time away, knowing her home is being watched over.
"It's very sad because the American family has to work very very hard all year long to be together and go on a vacation. It's just been a supreme gift," she says. "We use to think thieves came at night and that's not true anymore, with so many people working out the home, they leave it empty.”
KATC stopped by the Youngsville Police Department and spoke with Chief of Police Cody Louviere to find out why this service is beneficial.
"People do tend to take advantage of people and take advantage of situations and a lot of burglaries who are trying to steal things or break into peoples houses," Louviere said. "They pay attention to patterns, they pay attention to what time people leaves and what time people come back and unfortunately a lot of people are very predictable with our schedules and jobs, our work habits, our children keeps us on a very regime schedules and that's when we come into play as law enforcement to make sure we are there when you're not there.
Interested in having your home monitored while you're on a much needed vacation? Click here to sign up for the Vacation Patrol.
