Dear St. Charles Resident,
We are pleased to be able to provide the service of checking your residence while you are away on vacation.
There are a few facts of which you should be aware.
- Vacation checks are done by our officers as a courtesy and as time, activity and manpower permits.
- Your vacation check expires after six weeks. If you are staying away longer, you must re-submit a new registration every six weeks.
- We will accept vacation check requests for residences only, but not under any of the following circumstances:
- When someone will be living inside the residence during your absence
- When a home has been vacated by owner or tenant
- When a house is for sale
- We recommend that you let your neighbors know you are on vacation and ask that they watch your home and call police if there is any suspicious activity. This suggestion is the basis upon which our successful Neighborhood Watch program is founded.
- Please inform us if there is going to be a dog or other animal cared for inside your home. Our officers need to know this so there are no surprise encounters which could be dangerous.
- The officers also need to know if anyone will be going inside to care for pets or plants, etc. A surprise encounter with a person inside your home could be hazardous to everyone.
- If you return home earlier than planned, please go to the police department first to report your return. YOU MUST REPORT IN PERSON. WE DO NOT ACCEPT PHONE CALLS AS PROPER NOTIFICATION. (You could be a smart burglar!)
- Please tell your neighbors that we will be checking your residence from time to time so they are aware of the purpose of our visits.
- Please arrange for your premises to look lived-in while you are away. Such things as an uncut lawn, unshoveled snow, and the accumulation of papers and mail tell a would-be burglar that he has found the right target. The police department can loan you up to two light timers for your home while you are away. They can be signed-for and picked up at the police department front desk.
The St. Charles Police Department hopes that your vacation will be enjoyable for you. We hope that our services and suggestions will make your return uneventful.
