Holiday traveling to-do's to protect your home from thieves

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - As millions hit the roads this holiday weekend, don't let thieves rob you of your joy or belongings.

Social media is becoming an increasingly easy target for thieves to troll and wait until the coast is clear.

"We want people to obviously be excited, but at the same time be safe," says Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. "They [criminals] know somebody is going to be gone because somebody has been posting about the excitement of an upcoming family trip."

We all get it. The holidays bring a lot of joy and travel.

"We are visiting family for the holidays for Thanksgiving," said one Houston Zoo-goer today, visiting from Los Angeles.

Twitter can become the journal for many vacationers wanting to share their thoughts, even photos while enjoying some time away from home.

Avid social media users know, "It's okay to take a break," as one person posts, but do we really need to know that the booked Bahamas vacation for February can't come quick enough or that a Vegas trip in November may surprise your wife?

Crooks, according to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, are always looking for the path of least resistance.

"Yeah I think about it, but I mean I still post it," says Keirra Allen when asked if she posts to social media while traveling.

If you do post, like Allen, consider turning your location off and privacy on.

"Sometimes it's just innocently. Sometimes its your own kids. They're posting with their friends and everybody posts every update on the minute," says Sheriff Gonzalez.

It's also a good idea to let a neighbor that you trust know of your time away.

"Nosy neighbors are good neighbors. So if you know a neighbor that you trust, you can let them know that you'll be gone for a couple of days to make sure there's nothing suspicious and a moving truck doesn't pull up to the front door," says Sheriff Gonzalez.

You can also request that your street be patrolled by law enforcement.

A few links to request added patrolling on your street are below.

Houston Police Department: http://www.houstontx.gov/police/alert_slip/

Harris County: http://www.harriscountyso.org/Programs/programs_VacationWatch.aspx

Fort Bend County: http://www.fortbendcountytx.gov/index.aspx?page=815