Protect Your Seasonal Décor From Vandals And Crooks

Homeowners spend countless hours and thousands of dollars to show off their holiday spirit with bright, colorful outdoor displays. But popular seasonal decorations can be eye candy for Grinches, too.

Consumer groups estimate that homeowners will spend an average of $500 on outdoor décor this season alone -- up nearly 10 percent from 2005. With many shoppers purchasing decorations ranging from $30 to $300 apiece, the value of all the décor can easily climb into the thousands of dollars.

The December holiday season rides a crest of seasonal theft and vandalism across the country, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 2004, nearly two-thirds of burglaries in the U.S. targeted homes, with a majority of residential burglaries occurring between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

“Holiday home decoration used to mean stringing lights along the roof, but today it often includes a menagerie of air-blown snow globes, statuary and even animated light displays set to music,” said Candysse Miller, executive director of the Insurance Information Network of California. “Unfortunately, crime typically mimics consumer trends, and the costliest and trendiest of holiday decoration can become prime targets for holiday thieves.”

IINC recommends several ways that revelers can protect their yard displays:

• Digital cameras: Secure outdoor decorations to a fixed or hard-to-move platform.
  
• Use a marker to identify your holiday décor. If the items are stolen and recovered, your information is there to prove the items are yours.
  
• Keep irreplaceable or valuable seasonal items inside when you are not at home.
  
• Install motion sensor lights. Lighting can discourage would-be vandals.
  
• Get to know the neighbors. A neighborhood watch group can help monitor suspicious activity in the area.
  
• Include holiday decorations as part of a comprehensive home inventory. Include photographs and receipts in the event anything is taken or damaged. Free home inventory software is available from IINC at www.iinc.org.
  
• Consult your insurance company or agent regarding property limits in your homeowners or renters insurance policy to make sure that your insurance policy meets your current needs.
  

IINC is a non-profit, non-lobbying insurance communications association. For more information on this and other issues, please visit the IINC Web site at www.iinc.org.