IS YOUR HOME A TARGET FOR THEIVES?

For many, it`s just garbage, but for burglars, it`s heaven... "Following the holidays, we take all of our boxes from that nice, expensive television and put it by the road for the trash to pick up. Really, that`s an advertisement saying "Hey! Look what I got! It`s all inside, come and take them!" says officer John Givens. Streets were lined with the aftermath of the holiday, which makes it easy for burglars to target which house will be next. One house got a nice DVD player and VCR combo, a stereo system and a printer. "When a burglar canvases a neighborhood and sees that box sitting there, they know exactly what is behind closed doors," says Givens. What can you do to protect your home? Officials say cut up and break down boxes, placing them inside a trash bag so they can`t be seen. If you must take them outside, turn them inside out. Try to wait and put your trash out until the morning of garbage day. If you feel you must get them out of your h osue, putting them in the backyard is a safer compromise. JANA JACOBS-REPORTER WDHN 18