KGVY Radio, Monday, April 7, 2008

Green Valley Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers

Bill Roskey

This past week, SAV received familiar reports of bogus sweepstakes and identity theft, but we’d like to address a topic that’s just as important and involves thousands of people who live in Green Valley. Many of our winter residents are already starting to leave for their home states, and SAV will be conducting weekly house checks for those who sign up for the program. Our people have been doing this for years and we have a few tips and suggestions to pass on:

· First, it’s a good idea to have a trusted neighbor or a house watching service come in from time to time to see that everything is in order. Some people have come back after being gone a few months to find extensive damage due to mold and mildew. Even a small water leak can cause this to happen, resulting in very expensive renovations.

· When you’re locking up, it’s a good idea to put a dowel rod or something similar in the tracks of your sliding glass doors, and to make sure all the windows are secured.

· Some residents have plastic or ceramic snakes as decorations in their yards. If we’re checking your house, we’d greatly appreciate it if you put those items in the closet or garage until you return. During the summer months, we run across a lot of real rattlesnakes, and that gets our hearts pumping fast enough that we don’t need any more excitement.

· Don’t forget to cancel your subscriptions and ask one of your neighbors to pick up any advertising flyers that appear on your doorstep.

· If you live in a row house and the only way we can check your back yard is by entering through a back gate from an alley, we’d be grateful if you put your house number on the gate to make sure we get the right house. It doesn’t have to be elaborate—a small index card thumbtacked to the gate, or the number chalked on it is fine. It would help a lot.

· Finally, be careful on the interstates. We want to see you back here in a few months.