OCEAN CITY — With many resort residents planning holiday travel or winter-shortening vacations, and thousands more using their beach property as second homes, the Ocean City Police Department has a residential security check program available to help ensure private property is protected, but it appears few are taking advantage of it.
With the arrival of the holiday season, numerous Ocean City residents will travel to see families over the next few weeks and countless more will take much-needed vacations to warmer climates after another busy season. For years, the OCPD has offered an invaluable program in which local residents can register their properties for random security checks by officers when they are not at home for extended periods of time.
Through the program, homeowners and business owners can register their properties with the OCPD’s residential security check program and officers will randomly go around to them at different times of the day to ensure they are secure. During registration, homeowners provide information about how long they are going to be away, what interior and exterior lights are on timers, who might be visiting the property during the prescribed time period, what vehicles might be in the driveway and any other pertinent information about the status of the property.
OCPD officers on routine patrol will then drive by the property at random times during the day to ensure everything appears to be as it is supposed to be. The officers will also get out and check doors, sliding doors, windows, garages and other access points to ensure the property is safely secured and has not been compromised in any way while the owners are out of town.
Ocean City Police spokesperson Lindsay O’Neal said the free program is invaluable for resort property owners, but just a small portion take advantage of it each winter. With about 30,000 to 35,000 residential properties in Ocean City and a year-round population of about 7,000, tens of thousands of properties are eligible for the program but typically under 300 sign up for it.
“The OCPD currently has about 275 homes being actively checked by our officers for the winter,” she said. “We would love to see that number increase as people vacate their Ocean City homes during the winter months. Our residential security check program is completely free and very beneficial to homeowners in Ocean City that leave their homes during the winter.”
Each year, the OCPD responds to numerous incidents of burglaries at vacant properties. While the resort is inherently safe, especially during the quiet winter months, unfortunately there is a criminal element taking advantage of the vast number of empty properties.
“Some criminals tend to take advantage of the fact that many of our homeowners leave their homes for long periods of time in the offseason,” said O’Neal. “By having our officers check the empty home, we can deter any potential burglars from entering and help the homeowner avoid becoming a victim.”
The OCPD’s residential security check module is used to track residential and commercial addresses that require special monitoring. As officers patrol Ocean City, their observations and comments for the locations are captured in the department’s CAD system. When a special watch expires, a detailed report can be generated that outlines the frequency of the officer checks and any observations or unique circumstances experienced by officers for a specific address. More importantly, the security check system provides officers with enough information to quickly contact residents about their property in an emergency.
“Our officers will look out for a list of particulars about a property that they check and if anything seems odd, the officer will investigate the issue and give the homeowners a call if necessary,” she said. “Officers will also ensure that all doors and windows remain locked and closed while the homeowner is away. The program is really invaluable to those who travel during the winter or use their Ocean City property as a vacation home.”
The proliferation of social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter, for example, allow would-be criminals the opportunity to find out who is away and how long they will be gone.
“Avoid posting about your vacation before or while you are away,” she said. “This could make it very easy for any potential criminals to find out how long someone will be away. One easy way to prevent that is to check your privacy settings for all of your social media accounts.”
Beyond that, a handful of common sense tips can help.
“Ask your neighbor to keep an eye on your property, turn lights on and off at different times or park one of their cars in your driveway to make it appear as if someone is home,” she said. “One of the easiest things to do, however, is asking the OCPD to watch over your home. Our officers can check on your home while you’re enjoying your vacation worry free.”