CHANDLER, AZ — When heading out of town for the holidays, some Valley police agencies will act as an extra set of eyes to help protect your home.
In Chandler, police offer a "Vacation Watch Program," as officers will periodically check on your home while you're out of town. To sign up, residents must fill out an online form at least a week in advance.
"We're going to get out, we're going to walk around, we're going to check doors and windows," said Chandler Police Detective Seth Tyler. "We're going to make sure everything looks the way it should be."
Det. Tyler told ABC15 the program is aimed to be proactive and give residents some peace of mind.
"We live in the community, too," Det. Tyler said. "This is one of those programs we try and offer as outreach to the community."
According to Chandler police, 21 people are currently signed up for the program. Perhaps not everyone knows it exists, as ABC15 found one Chandler man who says he often leaves town, and had no idea the police are willing to swing by his place.
"I like for somebody to check on my house," said Rami Merhi. "Who's better than the police?"
Det. Tyler said at the very least, make sure a family member or neighbor checks on your house while you're out of town.
"Security cameras and those things are great after-the-fact," he said. "Having people that are physically going there and looking; they can identify things that just don't seem right or don't seem normal."
According to Chandler police, their program is offered year-round. Tempe, Peoria and Phoenix police are among the Valley cities that offer similar programs.
