With many people are heading out of town for their vacations, Sioux Falls Police Spokesman Sam Clemens says it's really important to take steps to protect their homes from burglars.

"Make sure the doors from the garage to the house are locked before you leave. Make sure the windows are secure. Try to keep valuables out of sight if you can."

Clemens says timers for your lights can keep burglars away.

"The timers we have these days can be set at random times. Some of them are digital. Some are the old analog where you can set times to turn on and off. There are a lot of timers that are fairly inexpensive. They do a good job. If a burglar sees the lights on he thinks people are at home."

And don't forget to let family and neighbors know you're not at home.

"Have a trusted friend or neighbor---even a family member here in town. They can stop by and check on the house. It doesn't hurt for them to sit in the driveway and go inside the residence for a couple of hours. Again, it's the appearance of someone is at home."

Clemens says you should keep grills, cars, and bikes locked up in your garage.

More From KXRB