Crisp Co. Sheriff on home safety around the holidays

CORDELE, Ga. – Around the holidays, there is a lot to be happy about, but that doesn’t mean you should not be prepared.

I sat down with Crisp County Sheriff Billy Hancock to talk about the steps you should take to stay safe around the holidays.

“Make sure you communicate whether it’s a family member or a neighbor. Hey, I’m going to be gone for a while. You know, and people think about just burglaries, but also think about our weather. I mean, we just went through a few days of hard freeze. We had a water pipe burst at your home or something. Happened to have somebody walk around and check it so you don’t come back to water damage or things that could have been prevented at your home,” said Sheriff Billy Hancock, Crisp County Sheriff’s Office.

State Farm said that last year Georgia residents had the most frozen water pipes reported in history.

So, should keep tabs on your utilities, as well as your personal belongings.

You should also never display your gifts on social media or outside your home.

“And, then, as the season winds down and you open all your gifts, I encourage you not to put those packages outside by the garbage can because you, again, have told somebody exactly what’s in your home and the value of some of those things that you have in your home. And, it might entice them once again to break into your home,” said Sheriff Hancock.

These small tips could be the difference from stopping intruders and damage to property post Christmas.

Gabe Hutton reporting.

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