Home security for the holidays Published Dec. 20, 2010 By Senior Airman Leandra D. Stepp 97th Air Mobility Wing ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla.- -- For most people, Christmas means decorating, shopping, gifts, and family. But for some, Christmas means taking things that aren't theirs. Sometimes, people at Altus Air Force Base get the mentality of, "It's just Altus," or "We're safe, we live on base." To an extent, Airmen and their families are safer but there are still thefts that occur. Whether you live on or off base, you should take the necessary precautions to make sure you are not a victim of theft, Detective Richard Hughes, 97th Security Forces Squadron said. As appealing as it is to see a lit Christmas tree with gifts neatly wrapped underneath it through the window, the view may be more appealing to someone with a criminal intent. The best way to combat that temptation is to take it away. Move trees and gifts away from the window. If that's not possible, close the curtains and leave the area well lit. A majority of the people who have been victims of theft have left their doors unlocked, Mr. Hughes said. They're not having someone check their house and if they are, they're making alternate arrangements for leaving a particular door unlocked. If Airmen and their families are going away for the holidays for an extended period of time, they should take the necessary steps to make sure they are keeping their personal property secure. Airmen should leave an extra house key for a close friend, a supervisor, or first sergeant to check on their house for them. Airmen can also request security forces to periodically check on their house. Some of the easiest ways to tell if no one is home is by a stack of newspapers sitting in the yard or an overflowing mailbox. Homeowners can mitigate this by calling the newspaper provider and local post office and stopping paper and mail deliveries until they return. "Get out and meet your neighbors," Mr. Hughes said. "Know who's in your neighborhood, know what cars you should see on a regular basis and keep your eyes open for things that aren't necessarily right." The Air Force Office of Special Investigations runs the Eagle Eyes Program with the assistance of security forces. This program allows bystanders an avenue to report suspicious activity. The seven categories of suspicious behavior are: 1. Surveillance-someone recording or monitoring the home they wish to case 2. Elicitation-someone attempting to gain information or asking questions about your neighbors and their whereabouts 3. Tests of security-attempting to break security or giggling the handle of the doors and or windows to see how secure they are 4. Acquiring supplies- purchasing or stealing supplies to break in such as hammers, or crowbars 5. Suspicious persons out of place-someone who doesn't seem to belong 6. Dry run-being in position or getting a feel of breaking in without actually committing the act 7. Deploying assets-someone with all the tools needed to break in getting into place to actually commit the crime If you should see anything suspicious, call 911 for an emergency or the law enforcement desk at 481-7444. "I think we have a really good presence in base housing and around the base, and I think the Altus Police Department has a really good community presence program," Mr. Hughes said. "But we need everyone to be aware of their surroundings and report what they see when it's out of the norm. That's how we can reduce these mini crime sprees that we see during the holiday seasons." If an Airman has taken all the steps that they can, and someone breaks in, they should not enter the house. Leave the scene as it is, go to a neighbor's house and call 911. Airmen should fill their holidays with joyous memories, not sad ones because they didn't take the time to secure their home. For more information on home security during the holidays, contact the security forces at 481-7444.