With spring break on the mind and summer vacations on the horizon, it’s time to start thinking about what to pack in your suitcase and what to leave behind—including a clean and safe home. In addition to keeping various items unplugged while you’re away (we’re looking at you, coffee pot), there are some things you should try to leave not just plugged in but powered on, too—particularly lamps and lights.

We tapped the best expert we could think of, Chief Dale Watson from Mount Airy, North Carolina. Mount Airy is a small town perhaps most famous for America’s favorite television police officer, Andy Griffith. The city is Griffith’s birthplace and inspired the popular show. Today, Chief Watson keeps an eye on things and below, offers his advice for home safety. 

Exterior Lighting 

Keeping your home well-lit, and therefore as secure as possible, starts from the outside in. In the words of Chief Watson, “Unpleasant things tend to come out in the darkness.” Whether that’s a raccoon, opossum, or burglar. To deter nefarious acts and regardless of your home’s size, consider adding outside lights that face your residence. Watson says to ensure hedges and bushes around your windows are trimmed for visibility, and when in doubt, “the more illumination, the better.”

Both in-ground and above-ground lighting can help you feel more secure when you return home in the evenings, too. Exterior lighting allows homeowners to see themselves through their front doors safely, and a combination of both automatic and manual lighting is best. Think about it like this: Manual lighting is offensive, while motion-sensor lights are defensive. By the time your motion sensor goes off, it’s a last-ditch effort. Regardless of your choice, Watson says, “Exterior lighting isn’t a nicety, it’s a necessity to protect yourself.”

Number Of Lights

There isn’t an exact equation to the number of lights you should leave on when going on vacation. Instead, Watson’s advice is to “leave as much lighting on as you can afford to.” That way, you leave the appearance that you have an active, inhabited home. This might seem counterintuitive since many of us have been taught to turn off lights to maintain energy efficiency, but in the age of LED bulbs, power consumption is friendlier for the environment than it once was. 

Recommended Lights

As far as which specific lights to illuminate, Watson says to light your house to see one area to the next. “First and foremost, I definitely want your foyer to be lit up.” From there, you should light your kitchen areas as well as your powder bath. “The idea is that you can see each spot from one light source to the next.” This set-up is more likely to deter any suspicious persons. 

Investing in automatic or app-controlled lightbulbs, like Philips Hue smart lights, innovatively (and easily!) maintains your lighting while away. Watson does recommend, however, adjusting the timing here and there. “Some folks who case homes are better at it than others, and they will pick up on a pattern. Change it up from time to time to keep anyone who might be sneaking around on their toes.”

Neighborhood Watch

Your best mode of defense is to get to know those who live around you. “Your neighbors are some of your strongest allies you have in home defense,” Watson says. “As we progress, we’re losing that sense of community, and we don’t build the relationships with those who live among us. Take time to invest in those relationships and get to know them.” Then, you can look out for each other.