Photo by N. Bower

By Mary Marvin, Mayor of Bronxville

June 17, 2026: As summer fast approaches, we all notice a change in the rhythm of the Village as many of you take the opportunity to travel, some leaving homes unoccupied for significant stretches of time. But even if traveling for a short duration, it is important that one’s home looks occupied.

Despite stopping mail, random flyers and solicitation items can end up on driveways which are giveaways to a vacant house. Our police department advises homeowners to share your schedule with a neighbor, ask them to pick up items left near your home and even park a car in your driveway.

We ask that you take advantage of our “vacant house list” service.  Prior to your vacation departure, contact our police department with your plans and when manpower permits, our officers will make physical checks of your home.

As an added safety measure, go to BronxvillePD and follow the Emergency Alert System link to add your family to our alert system.  You will then be able to receive updates from our Chief of Police about any criminal activity in close to real time updates on critical incidents affecting the Village including police activities and weather alerts.

If you have any concerns about the security of your home, call the Police Department, set up an appointment and an officer will do a security survey of your home to assess vulnerabilities and suggest ways to increase security.

A key file at the police department is also available allowing homeowners to keep a key in the department in case of emergencies and lockouts. 

The following are strategies from Police Chief Satriale to make your home appear occupied:

-Arrange for your mail and deliveries to be stopped. 

-Change locks immediately if keys are lost or stolen and always change locks when moving into a new home.

-To make the exterior of your home secure, always activate your alarm system and provide adequate exterior lighting.  A motion-sensitive light is recommended for backyards.

-Trim trees and shrubs to avoid creating a hiding place or screen for intruders.

-Never leave keys under doormats, flowerpots, mailboxes, etc. or other secret hiding places.  Burglars know where to look for hidden keys.

-Connect some lamps to automatic timers to go on during the day as well as at night.

-Keep the garage door closed and locked and store bicycles out of sight as bicycle thefts in particular increase significantly during the summer months.

-Keep car and house keys on separate rings and unlabeled so if lost, both are not vulnerable to use.

-Even when home, cars should always be locked and valuables removed from plain site. The vast majority of our car thefts are not break-ins, rather crimes of opportunity when unlocked car doors are tried, opened and money and valuables taken.

-Consider motion sensitive lights around your home, particularly backyards.

-If you do return home and find an unexplained open or broken window or door, do not enter your home.  Go to a neighbor’s home to use a phone or use a cell phone away from the house.  Do not touch anything or attempt to clean up until the police have arrived.

-Finally, be a good neighbor.  If you notice anything suspicious in your neighborhood, call the police immediately.  While you are waiting for their arrival, write down any license plate numbers or descriptions of suspicious persons.

As a general rule, call the Police Department if you see any suspicious persons/activities/packages; anything out of the norm and let trained police professionals make the decision as what has transpired. It is important to call the Police Department immediately because often time is truly of the essence and even a small delay can hamper apprehension.