Can you better crime-proof your Modesto home? Tips on keeping property safe
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Police data show property crime fell in 2023 and 2024.
- Secure all entries, add lights, trim landscaping, and install cameras and alarms.
- Use delivery holds or lockers, join Neighborhood Watch, and request vacation checks.
Facebook community groups and other social media are brimming with home security footage of thieves stealing packages from porches, taking outdoor decor and even breaking into property.
While the rise of cameras suggests that activity like this is very common, data from the Modesto Police Department show that major property crime has declined in the past few years, being down 4% in 2024 and 16% in 2023.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index report, prices have risen 2.9% from a year ago on all items excluding food and energy. With higher prices due to tariffs and inflation, and the holiday season approaching, people may be concerned about how to protect their homes and property from theft and trespassing.
The Modesto Police Department offers tips through its Crime Prevention Unit on how to better secure a residence. “The main things that we talk to people about ... securing the property,” said police civilian supervisor Charlene Aragon. “A lot of burglaries are crimes of opportunity. They check for open doors, open windows and things left unlocked.”
Police suggest regular checks of not just a home’s front door, but its side-yard entries, garage doors, windows on all levels and cars parked outside.
Overgrown bushes, trees provide cover to crooks
Aragon also recommends keeping those areas well-lighted and unobscured. “It’s not just the front porch light that should be on; add lights over the driveway, on the side of the house, or the back of the house if it is really dark,” she said. “We also recommend that when landscaping the front yard, the bushes are not taller than 3 feet and that the trees’ (limbs) are trimmed up to 7 feet off the ground, so that you’re not concealing windows or doors where people can’t see if there’s somebody doing something there that they shouldn’t.”
Motion-sensor lighting kits, alarms and cameras are readily available, and Aragon suggests adding them around the house. The cameras can be especially useful when it comes to packages being delivered or monitoring your home while you are away.
If you live in a property where deliveries can’t be placed out of view, Aragon suggests having packages sent to your workplace or using drop-box services like Amazon Locker. If you work from home, she suggests adding real-time notifications to your delivery so you can receive the package as soon as it is delivered.
Packages can lure thieves not just at the time of delivery, but also afterward, because discarded boxes signal new purchases. Make sure not to leave large boxes outside the trash. It’s better to break down the boxes so they fit into the trash can.
If you plan to be away for the holidays, Aragon suggests getting to know your closest neighbors and asking them to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Put vacation holds on your mail and subscription deliveries, or ask a neighbor to pick them up for you.
The Modesto Police Department offers vacation house checks conducted by VIPS (Volunteers in Police Service) for people leaving home for five to 30 days. These volunteers will periodically patrol your residence to look for anything suspicious and follow up with officers if necessary. Interested parties are encouraged to fill out the form at least a week in advance of travel. Other police departments including Turlock and Oakdale offer similar services.
Be mindful of not just property but pets
Pets can be helpful in alerting homeowners about people coming to the door. But when you’re away, they also can be victims. ID tags and even tracking devices are recommended in case there is a break-in and your pet flees in fear.
One of the best defenses is connecting with your community. Neighborhood Watch programs are a great way to keep one another safe and alert to anything out of the ordinary. People peering into homes or cars, or going through someone’s property, may be signs of something suspicious, but residents should not approach someone in the neighborhood just because they are not familiar with them.
Through its Crime Prevention Unit, the Modesto Police Department can help neighborhoods set up a watch program. The unit also offers free home security checks to offer tips on how to better secure your home. These programs and other tips are available at www.modestogov.com/230/Crime-Prevention-Unit
This story was originally published October 10, 2025 at 12:00 PM.
