Those planning to travel for the Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays should keep in mind that the Davidson Police Department offers a free “home security check.”

Davidson neighborhoods have been a target in past years for holiday season burglaries.  During the 2004 Christmas holiday, 13 homeowners were burglarized.  Five more were victims of what became dubbed as “the sweet toothed burglar” (for nibbling on cookies after breaking into homes) during 2006.

Homeowners can take advantage of the “home security check” service by notifying the police prior to leaving town for a vacation.  This can be done either by filling out a form at Town Hall, or by using the Town of Davidson website.  (Click here to access the application.)  When a form is submitted, the address goes automatically to all officers in the department, and officers will make a daily check on the residence.  Forms should be submitted 12 to 24 hours before departure.  The form asks about the duration of the vacation, the number of vehicles on the premises, whether lights have been left on, whether anyone else might be checking on the property, whether there is a security system in place and for an emergency contact number.