Ask an Officer: Should I Tell Police When I Go Away?

Have a question you've always wanted to ask someone in law enforcement? Officer Wayne Twombly of the Fair Oaks Police District, which encompasses Oakton, will answer your question through our Ask an Officer feature. Readers submit questions and Officer Twombly responds. Send questions to Nicole.Trifone@patch.com or submit them in the comments section below.

Here are this week's questions:

If I am going away for an extended time, say on vacation, even though I have an alarm, should I notify the police of my expected absence and return?

Yes, even though you have an alarm, and I do encourage you to use it, you can still notify the local substation and advise them when you will be out of town. When officers have the time, they can drive by in the neighborhood. It's just hard with the amount of citizens we have to serve to check each person's home. You can also ask a trusted neighbor to check your home, pick up any newspapers and be observant of any suspicious individuals or vehicles in the area. And if so, call the police.

Is it illegal to throw a cigarette butt out a car window?

Yes, it is considered littering to throw a cigarette butt out of your vehicle window.

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