HUNTINGTON, Texas (KTRE) - The Huntington Police Department is offering vacation patrols to people living within the city limits.
“Our officers patrol the businesses and homes and streets during the day and night,” Police Chief Brandan Lovell said. “This here is something extra. If an individual or family goes on vacation or have to be out of their home for a period of time, we’ll do extra patrols.”
Lovell said they implemented the service to give back to the community and give people peace of mind.
“If they have a loved one that may be in Houston at the hospital or something, that gives them one less thing to worry about,” Lovell said.
According to home security company ADT, most home burglaries occur during the day between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Break-ins are more likely to occur when people are least expected to be home.
“If someone’s gone for days, weeks, and even months, a crime scene is cold,” Lovell said.
The department investigates break-ins, but they don’t have many according to Lovell. He said the extra patrols will eliminate the chance of one occurring.
While patrolling, the officer will look around the home to make sure everything is how it should be.
“The request form they fill out gives us information of who’s supposed to be there, who’s not supposed to be there, any cars parked, and we’ll have direct contact with them,” Lovell said.
The patrols will be added to the officer’s normal patrol route. He said the extra service should not take away from the department’s normal operation.
“It’s just that extra effort we’re going to do for our citizens,” Lovell said.
Request forms are available at the Huntington Police Department.