By 1808Delaware
Heading into Thanksgiving week, many Delaware residents are packing cars, juggling baking schedules, or figuring out how to fit both sides of the family into one long weekend. Meanwhile, the Delaware Police Department is quietly preparing for something else: keeping an eye on homes while their owners are away.
A Simple Idea: Travel Without Worry
Every holiday season, officers make routine checks on houses whose owners have requested a “Holiday House Check.” It is exactly what it sounds like. You let the police know when you will be gone, and they periodically swing by to take a look for anything that seems off. It costs nothing and can offer meaningful peace of mind, especially during a time when many homes sit quiet for multiple days.
To schedule a check, residents send an email to policerecords@delawareohio.net. That message becomes a short profile officers use while they’re making rounds. If something doesn’t match what you told them, they can follow up.
Trash, Closures, and Other Thanksgiving Week Notes
Thanksgiving changes a few standard routines in the city. There is no trash collection on Thursday, November 27. Thursday routes are rescheduled to Friday, and Friday routes move to Saturday. City offices are closed on Thursday and Friday.
If there were ever a week to double check schedules or to put reminders on the fridge, this is it.
How to Request a House Check
When you email the Police Department, include the details that help officers spot anything unusual:
• Your name
• Your phone number
• Your address
• The dates you will be away
• Whether anyone has a key and their contact information
• Whether lights are on timers
• Vehicles that will remain in the driveway (make, model, license plate if available)
• Whether you have an alarm system
• Whether a house sitter will be stopping in
• Any quirks officers should know about, such as a broken gate latch or previous break-ins
Why It Matters
A house check is not a substitute for locking your doors or asking a neighbor to grab a package off your porch. But it adds a layer of accountability. Someone with authority is looking at your property during a vulnerable stretch of time, and they know what should and should not be there.
Officers are already out responding to calls and patrolling neighborhoods. This program simply folds your house into their routine.
It is hard to argue against free security. Nothing about the request process is complicated, and it avoids that creeping feeling when you are two hours down the highway and can’t remember whether you closed the back gate.
If you are leaving town for Thanksgiving, or at any other time during the year, take advantage of the service. A few minutes spent sending one email may be the difference between a trip where you are checking weather forecasts and a trip where you are checking doorbell camera footage.
To schedule your Holiday or Vacation House Check, email: policerecords@delawareohio.net
Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
