Home residence checks can help prevent theft

A new program put in place by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office is designed to help prevent burglaries around the county. Sheriff Ryan Everett encourages homeowners to sign up for residence checks, which are designed to deter crime. The checks are designed for homeowners who will be away from their property while on trips.
According to Everett, there has been a small increase in burglaries around the county as more people are beginning to get out and travel as COVID-19 restrictions are eased. Tuesday morning, he said there have been three or four small burglaries in different areas of the county over the last two weeks.
Everett said homeowners can call to have a deputy deliver a signup form, or they can come by the sheriff’s office to fill one out. The information provided includes name, address, vehicle descriptions, dates leaving and returning, and whether or not visitors will be in and out of the property to feed animals or otherwise look after things. With this information, patrols will be better able to tell if there is a potential problem while the homeowner is away.
The program began the week of spring break in early March but fizzled because of COVID-19 shelter-in-place guidelines that caused most people to stay at home. Now, as those travel restrictions are eased and summertime travel begins to pick back up some, Everett thinks it is a good time to “re-start” the program.