Going away? Keep your home secure with Holiday Watch. The City of Stirling’s Holiday Watch service provides external patrols of your property while you’re away for up to eight weeks. Community safety officers will monitor your home, helping deter suspicious activity and ensuring peace of mind.
In order to be eligible for this service:
- You must reside in the City of Stirling
- You must be away for no longer than 8 consecutive weeks
- Your property must remain unoccupied for the duration of your absence.
Please note that patrols will stop on your specified return date. If you are unable to return home due to unforeseen circumstances, please contact our community safety team on 1300 365 356.
Tips for keeping your home safe when you’re away
A pile of mail pouring out of your mailbox can be a sign that you’re away. Your local post office can put your mail on hold for the duration of your holiday.
You can set a timer to switch on your lights, television and radio creating the illusion that someone is home.
Thieves are now using social media platforms as a way of planning their next opportunity. Avoid posting photos or information about your trip until you have returned home.
Give your holiday contact information and a spare key to your neighbour in case there’s an emergency while you’re away.
If you plan to put your bins out before you leave, arrange for a neighbour to bring them in. Bins left on your verge for longer than a few days could be a sign that you’re not at home.
Lock your valuables securely in a safe or hide them somewhere. In the unlikely event of a break-in, they will be harder to find.
Unplug all unnecessary appliances (except those on timers) to protect your home from an electrical fire and to save on electricity.
The chances of something going wrong while you’re away are very small. So don’t let worrying about your home spoil your trip.
