Richland Police: Careful What You Post While On Holiday

Police departments and sheriff's offices across the Mid-Columbia want you to be safe from crooks this Thanksgiving week. They also want you to know that burglars don't take holidays off.

If you're traveling this week, refrain from posting any social media information that lets people know you're away for an extended amount of time.

"It's a big one. And I think people forget, they're posting photos while they're out and on vacation or wherever. Save those posts. And when you get back, it's still going to be newsworthy when you get home. It makes so much sense." Richland Police Spokesperson Claire Venema said.

If you have important mail coming to your house, coordinate with your post office to stop deliveries until you get back.

"There's nothing like packages sitting on your front porch to tell thieves, hey, come on in and no one's home," Venema said. "And never leave a key hidden outside. Thieves know all the right places to look for your keys and you won't get one pass them. So just try to avoid that entirely."

Also, refrain from leaving ladders in a place that invites crooks into backyards and/or looking for upper floor windows that are not secure.

And if you plan to park your vehicle in a spot away from home such as the airport, don't leave information about your home address inside the vehicle. Crooks have been known to break into cars, note home addresses from car registrations or other paperwork, and commit burglaries at owners' home while they're away.