SJSO Routine Patrol

Are you planning a trip? Whether out of town for business or pleasure, sometimes the thought of leaving your home for any length of time can lead you to worry about security concerns.

You should make arrangements with a neighbor to keep an eye out for anything strange or unusual going on in the neighborhood and to also have that neighbor pick up any papers, or your mail. Better yet, contact the U.S. Postal Service and place a "hold" on your mail while you're away. Also, you should call to stop the delivery of any ‘subscribed to’ newspapers as well.

It is a also a good idea to have a light, or lights on a timer inside your home, set to come on at dusk and go on or off according to bedtimes, etc. Lights on motion sensors make sense at all times on the exterior of your home as well.

To help provide you with additional peace of mind while you are away from home, you can call the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office at (904) 824-8304 and request that your home be placed on our Routine Patrol list. You may be asked several questions, including, but not limited to, the length of time you will be away, if vehicles will be in your driveway, if any neighbors have a key and will be checking on your home. You can also provide an emergency contact number, for example, your cell phone number, to be called should you need to be contacted.