As Pike County residents gear up for the Thanksgiving holidays, local law enforcement ask you to keep safety in mind.

Whether you are traveling to visit family or staying home for the big feast, Police Chief Anthony Everage and Fire Chief Thomas Outlaw offer safety advice.

Traffic on the Thanksgiving holidays will be a major concern, even for those staying in Troy.

“There will be an increase of traffic in Troy, especially on U.S. 231, as well as other state and U.S. highways that run through Troy during this time,” Everage said. “This is a time we should be safety-minded and focus on travel safety issues especially during times that we are away from home visiting relatives.”

And further, for those preparing to leave home, Everage said there are steps residents should take to ensure their property stays safe.

Everage said people should make sure to lock all doors and windows to their homes, and keep shades or blinds covering windows.

He also said it’s important to either take valuable items from the home or keep them out of a common area where someone could easily find them.

“Ask yourself this question: If you’re locked out of your home, can you still get in?” Everage said. “If you answered, ‘yes,’ so can a burglar.”

In addition to traveling safety, Fire Chief Outlaw said residents should also keep fire safety at the front of their minds. Thanksgiving Day is one of the most common days of the year for house fires across the nation, and Outlaw said that statistic holds true in Troy. “The main thing is to not leave your stove unattended,” Outlaw said. “That’s where most of the kitchen fires we get come from. It’s when someone leaves something on the stove and walks off to do something else.”

Outlaw said those cooking outside should also use caution because the weather is dry.