Local law enforcement can help keep your home safe while you’re summering out of town

THE WOODLANDS, TX – School’s out, PTO has been racked up, reservations have been made and tickets have been purchased, and you’re ready to take the family out of town for summer vacation.

Unfortunately, home invasions, burglaries, squatters, even natural disasters unfortunately pose true threats to a stress-free vacation. Fortunately, local law enforcement has a way to ease your mind.

When planning on leaving your home alone why you enjoy the summer elsewhere, some simple steps can ease a lot of potential pain. Pausing your newspaper subscriptions, having your mail held at the post office, bribing a trusted neighbor to remove door flyers, keeping the extra car parked in your driveway, installing a Ring-style doorbell, and even using your virtual assistants to turn your lights on and off at randon can be a great start. However, nothing can beat the human factor.

Fortunately, local law enforcement is handy to help keep an eye on your property when you (or your neighbors) can’t. Depending on your residence location and preferences, you can reach out to any of these agencies.

Precinct 3 Constable’s Office – Constable Gable and his crew offer several services you can request online, including Public Information Requests, Event Appearance Requests, Home Inspection Requests, Online Crime Tips, Extra Patrol Requests, Commend a Deputy, File a Complaint, and Vacation Watch Requests.

A simple online form is all you need to fill out to request a vacation watch for your residence while you are away. Upon receipt of your request, it will be forwarded to a patrol deputy assigned to your neighborhood who will check on your residence while you are gone. Vacation watch checks will occur at random times and days as deputy availability permits.

Learn more at https://constablepct3.com/mcco3-web/services.php.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office – Sheriff Doolittle and his crew are on the case with their mind-soothing Vacation Watch services. While you’re away, the MCSO Patrol Division will send patrol officers to check on your residence and assure it is secure and that it has not been burglarized. If anything out of the ordinary is found during these checks, the emergency contact for the location of the residence will be contacted. Note that certain conditions apply, including vacation length and status of your residence. The frequency of these checks will be dependent upon the call loads in the Patrol District in which you reside.

Learn more at https://www.mctxsheriff.org/divisions/executive_division/communications/vacationwatch.php or call 936-760-5800 and select option 3.

Shenandoah Police Department – Vacation Watch is a courtesy service provided to the City of Shenandoah residents. To submit a Vacation Watch request to the Shenandoah Police Department, visit the registration form website and complete the Vacation Watch questions completely and submit. On completion of this form, a request will automatically be generated and you will receive a response that your request has been received.

To fill out a form, visit https://www.shenandoahtx.us/331/Report-a-Concern.

Oak Ridge North Police Department – Oak Ridge North keeps the other side of I-45 safe and sound with its Vacation Watch program. To register for a Vacation Watch, download and fill out this form at https://www.oakridgenorth.com/_files/ugd/5afa0d_ea8eb7d1717d4d32a33e61e1abad7ffd.pdf and then email it to specialservices@oakridgenorthpdtx.us.

Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office – For our Creekside Park Village residents in The Woodlands covered by Harris County, the county’s Precinct 4 Constable, Mark Herman, and his deputies are ready to let vacationers breathe a sigh of relief knowing their properties can be checked up on.

If you’re a Creekside Park Village resident, to enjoy peace of mind courtesy of Constable Herman, visit https://www.constablepct4.com/vacation-watch-request.html.

Remember that all the local law enforcement agencies have multiple services designed to help homeowners, renters, and businesses feel protected and secure; reach out to them on their respective non-emergency lines any time.