Many Iowans are planning to take long vacations over the summer months and law enforcement officials are issuing some reminders so they won’t become victims of a home burglary. Waterloo Police Captain Tim Pillack says many people make it easier on burglars by telling them they’re out of town.
“One of the things we’re seeing lately is people are posting on Facebook and other social media sites that they’re going on vacation or posting pictures of (themselves) on vacation,” Pillack says. “When you post things like that, thousands of people can see it.”
In Waterloo, police have responded to nearly 100 reports of burglaries over the last month. Officers are not sure if Facebook has played a role in the break-ins, but Pillack says it’s likely some people are making themselves an easy target.
“If you’re going to post things, I would wait until I got home and say ‘this is what I did on vacation’ as opposed to ‘here I am on vacation,'” Pillack said.
Pillack also advises vacation-bound Iowans to inform a neighbor beforehand, so they can pick up their newspapers or mail and keep an eye on their home.
By Mark Carlson, KCRG-TV, Cedar Rapids