March 27, 2020

More and more of us are working from home and practicing social distancing during this COVID-19 crisis. This means there are more “eyes on the street” in our neighbourhoods to notice and report suspicious activity. However, this could create some new challenges, such as increased “back alley” and vehicle activity. Here are some tips from the Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre, in partnership with the RCMP, to improve your security at home during this time:

• Remove all valuables (including coins, empty bottles, medications, bags, sunglasses, etc.)  from your vehicles and lock your doors every night. If you are leaving a vehicle parked on the street or garage pad, be sure to remove your garage door opener.
• Store empty bags of bottles in your garage or a locked storage unit. Leaving them in plain view in your backyard or  back alley just encourages thieves to come on to your private property, and return to check if you have put more bags out.
  

  Tire Lock

  

  Hitch Lock

• If you are storing an RV in your back yard, remove propane bottles and batteries, and don’t leave any other valuables in it, even “just overnight” because you are leaving in the morning.
• If you are storing a trailer in your back yard, consider a lock hitch or tire lock.
• Cut down bushes to 2′ or less, and trim tree canopies up to 6′ to increase sightlines into and from your property. Trim bushes away from doors and windows to remove hiding places for people who shouldn’t be there.
• If leaving sliding doors or windows open for fresh air, leave them open them 6″ or less, and consider using inexpensive dowels inside the frame to ensure the window/door cannot be pushed open further from the outside.
• Consider installing motion detector lights that you, or your neighbours, can see to alert you to suspicious activities.
• If you are in your back yard, do NOT leave your overhead garage door open or your garage man door unlocked.
• Implement the RCMP’s #9PMRoutine every night to reduce those “the one time I forgot” times and ensure your home is secured for the night.
• If you own a business and it is currently closed, you may wish to check out our other article, “Crime Prevention for Your Business During the COVID-19 Crisis“.

Please continue to REPORT all suspicious activity to the RCMP non-emergency line at 403-343-5575. Should you want further information, please visit our website, call us at 403-986-9904, or email us at [email protected].

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