There’s little more gratifying than spending holidays with family, so for most, Christmas is synonymous with packing up and heading out to the holiday location of choice. That could be near. That could be far. It could constitute a trip of two days, or for the more adventurous traveler, it could mean being out of town for a week or more.

Unfortunately, the holiday season is also synonymous with a far less celebratory statistic: the upswing in crime seems to be inevitable at this time of year. For many, locking up the house and driving away for any amount of time can be daunting, and a cause for worry.

What most people don’t know is that there are options that can lend a little peace of mind when out of town. The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Washington Police Department, offer a valuable service that many don’t take advantage of, simply because they don’t know it exists. Any resident with concerns about leaving a home untended can call the appropriate agency and request that officers keep an eye on the place, making it part of their patrol during the days they are out of town. This is a free service offered by most law enforcement agencies. All one has to do is call.

Another option that’s seen a resurgence of late is that of the community watch. While many could argue that they already know their neighbors and are vigilant about keeping an eye on an out-of-town neighbor’s home, a neighborhood’s overall safety could only benefit for having more people paying attention to suspicious activity. A neighborhood could also benefit greatly by having homeowners extend their acquaintanceship beyond immediate neighbors to the neighborhood as a whole. A vehicle driving slowly through a neighborhood at night could be a visitor unsure of where to find a specific address, but it could very well be a would-be thief looking for that abandoned holiday home. More eyes and ears trained on the neighborhood means less opportunity for criminal activity.

Knowing belongings are safe takes stress away from out of town ventures. The options are available.