Apartment house tenants should also heed this hint since stuffed mail receptacles are a give-away when no one is home. Inform neighbors of your absence so they can be extra alert for suspicious persons. Leave a key with them so your place may be periodically inspected. Ask them to vary the positions of your shades and blinds. When you leave, do not publicize your plans.
Some burglars specialize in reading newspaper accounts of other people's vacation activities.
The criminal may still be inside. Use a neighbor's phone immediately to summon police. Do not touch anything or clean up if a crime has occurred. Preserve the scene until police inspect for evidence. Lock before you leave.