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410-723-6397

Cops to monitor homes for holidays

(Dec. 1, 2016) While Ocean City and Ocean Pines residents are packing their bags to spend the holiday season with friends and family, local law enforcement will be keeping an eye on their homes.
Both Ocean City and Ocean Pines police departments offer a residential security check program, which protects unoccupied homes or secondary residences through random checks by officers. Both programs run year-round, whether it’s for a long weekend trip or a vacation.
“During the winter months, there have always been a large number of vacant residences here in town, so this service was created to protect those vacant homes from being burglarized,” Ocean City Police Department Public Affairs Specialist Lindsay Richard said. “If a home is on our watch list is burglarized, we will notice it much sooner – and have a much better chance of solving the case.”
She added that most of the program’s participants sign up long-term only during the colder months. Ocean Pines is in a similar situation.
“We do see a drastic increase in the colder months because the snowbirds go south,” Ocean Pines Police Lt. James Ehrisam said. “They’re gone for three or four months at a time.”
Ehrisam said officers are assigned to sectors, and that they will stop by the registered property randomly throughout their patrols. Officers will also walk around the property’s perimeter and note of any changes since their last visit. The inspection also includes noticing any vehicles in the driveway that are not listed on the registration form.
If anything suspicious occurs, officers will call an emergency number included with the application.
“[The program] serves a lot of purposes, from keeping neighbors aware that they’re out of town, or notifying them immediately if there’s a felled tree,” he said.
Ocean City’s program is comparable to the OPPD’s, according to Richard. Resort officers can choose to do these residential checks if they aren’t handling other calls for service.
“In the winter months, the daily number of calls drops significantly, so our officers have time to check on our citizens’ homes,” she said.
Observations and comments on the resort properties are detailed in the OCPD’s computer-aided dispatch system. A detailed report can be created that outlines the frequency of checks or incidents, like in Ocean Pines.
Richard estimates that the program has been around for more than 15 years and that it has grown throughout that period.
“Our officers do a really good job of watching these homes, so I think word has spread fast,” she said.
To sign up for the Ocean City residential security check program, visit oceancitymd.gov/police and click on the Residential Checks link on the right side of the webpage. Property owners can also call the front desk front desk at 410-723-6610 to register.
Ocean Pines residents can apply for the service by completing an online form found on oceanpines.org/administration/police/ page. The application can be found under “quick links” in the center of the page. Homeowners can also call 410-641-7747 to apply.