[ladyjane]

It is unfortunate but it may not be a good idea to tell the cops in advance...just sayin.

[hoosierham]

Most of the time it will be a good idead;but there are cops who will rob the very house they are supposed to watch.Last such incident I know of took place locally a long time ago,and the dirty cops got cold feet and dumped the guns taken,got caught,went to prison, and did not get new job as cops.

A trusted neighbor who is home all the time may be best;if your neighbor is gone to work the thieves can steal a lot between 9am and 5pm.

[hiredhand]

I work closely with law enforcement in my state (a hazard of my job :-). A deputy buddy of mine a couple of counties over was on an SRT and they were mainly involved in serving warrants to occupants of suspected meth labs and crack houses. I was over at his house one weekend and we were playing with a integrally suppressed .22 rifle that he had. I asked him what they did with it, and he said they shot guard dogs and street lights outside the location where they were serving the warrant. I suggested that it might be easier to just call the power company and have power killed and he chuckled and told me that the drug gangs had people on the "inside" of the utility companies who were tipping the bad guys off!

I can't comment on the merits of telling the cops you'd be away in advance, but I don't think I'd tell any utility companies! :-)