Archive civic context: Alexandria City Hall, photographed 21 September 2008; not a home check, applicant residence or sheriff facility. Photo: “Alexandria (VA) City Hall.jpg” by Ser Amantio di Nicolao at English Wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0. Cropped, resized and text added by ThinBlueNews; no endorsement implied.

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia — The Alexandria Sheriff’s Office is reminding residents traveling for the holidays that they can request free Away from Home Checks by deputies. Requests must be submitted at least one week before departure, according to the office’s November 5, 2026 bulletin.

The reminder appears in the office’s October 2026 monthly bulletin, published November 5, 2026. That is the date of the holiday reminder, not the start of a new program: the city’s standing service page was already updated November 17, 2025.

What deputies check

The sheriff’s office says the service includes a visual survey of the home and outbuildings while the resident is away. When accessible, checks include doors and some windows.

A home’s entrance must be directly accessible from street level, according to the city’s program page. Residents should check that requirement before requesting a visit.

How to request a check

Use the city’s Away from Home Check page to reach the online request form. The page says requests must be made at least a week before the resident will be away and tells applicants to expect a response within two business days.

The response timeframe concerns the request, not a promised schedule of deputy visits. Neither the holiday reminder nor the program page specifies how often a home will be checked. Residents should not read the service description as a guarantee of continuous monitoring.

The practical planning point is the advance-request deadline: submit at least a week ahead of departure, rather than waiting until the day of travel.

Sources: Alexandria Sheriff’s Office October bulletin, published November 5; City of Alexandria program details and request-form entry point.