You can do a lot to deter crime by asking neighbors to watch your home when you are away. • Before you leave for vacation... • Car ID Program: Watch Your Car North Carolina • This is the Law: Landlords and Tenants • Housing Code Q&A for Owners and Tenants • Community Action Contact Information • Y2K: Links to resources and preparedness sites

Web Site Guide | News | About OWDNA | Neighborhood Info | Photographs of OWD | Media Spotlight | Citizen Resources | Home Before you leave for vacation... A few preventative measures can ensure that your return home is "uneventful." Before leaving town, take the time to review the security of your home: Avoid advertising plans to be away. Arrange to stop newspaper delivery and have someone collect mail and flyers from your mailbox. Put timers on interior lights. Put exterior lights on photo-electric switches to activate them at dusk. Park a spare car, if you have one, in the driveway or ask a trusted neighbor to use your driveway. Consider arranging for a house-sitter for prolonged absences. Connect radio or TV to a timer. Turn down the ringer on your telephone or adjust the answering machine to pick up after three rings. Arrange for your grass to be mowed. Leave a key with someone you trust. Let trusted neighbors know you are going to be away, for how long and where you can be contacted. Don't hide keys outside - burglars know all the "good" places. Lock up ladders, tools and recreational equipment. Do not keep large amounts of money in your home. Mark valuable items for identification. Keep valuables in a safety deposit box at your bank.