Sheriff offers free vacation checks

SAN DIEGO (CNS) — The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has issued a reminder that senior volunteers are available to keep an eye on homes while residents are on vacation.

Senior volunteers can be requested for vacation checks year-round. A form is available on the home page of the sheriff’s website at sdsheriff.net, but residents must submit the form in person at a sheriff’s station for identity verification purposes.

Empty homes are targets for burglars. Sheriff’s volunteers are available to patrol a home’s exterior on weekdays and check whether doors, windows and garages are locked and undamaged; hide newspapers and packages in a side yard or patio; and summon a deputy if anything suspicious is spotted, according to the sheriff’s department.

Upon their return, residents will receive a letter listing when their home was checked and what was observed each time.