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It's important to teach your kids home safety tips when they will be home alone for any period of time. During the school year, many latch key kids will return to empty homes each day after classes. It's estimated that there are more than 14 million latch key kinds in the US, due to an increasing number of parents who must work long hours to make end meet.

Many of the older kids are also responsible for caring for their younger siblings during the day. It can be a tough decision for parents to make on whether their kids are able to fend for themselves at home alone. In general, it's recommended that no children under the age of 12 should be left at home alone and that kids should be at least 15 before they're allowed to care for younger siblings.

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Police in La Porte, California have been offering some home safety tips for residents of local apartment complexes. While there are many benefits to living in an apartment, including the sense of community, it is also true that apartment residents are more susceptible to property crimes. Police stress that prevention is key in reducing crimes like domestic assaults and burglaries.

Many vehicle-related thefts were a result of preventable mistakes such as a failure to lock doors or leaving valuable possessions in clear view. Another common factor in apartment property crimes is the abuse of alcohol. Police recommend that residents stay alert to activities in their apartment complexes and work to strengthen community ties. To this end, the police department works with community groups like the Citizens Police Academy, National Night Out and Youth Explorers Post.

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It's a good idea for travelers to follow some basic home safety tips while they are away to reduce t heir chances of being a crime victim. One thing that police recommend is to utilize local Neighborhood Watch organizations which can provide accurate information on the type of crimes in your neighborhood and their incidence.

They also recommend locking your doors with deadbolts which are resistant to picking and getting a good alarm system which you test at least monthly. You should also tell your neighbors about your travel itinerary and make sure you put your mail and newspaper delivery on hold so they don't pile up and make it clear that you are away. You can also have your yard maintained while you're away since this is another telltale sign to criminals that you are out of town.