The Central Region of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) would like to share tips and resources with the public to help prevent break and enters.
Break and enters continue to remain an all-too-common occurrence in Canada, with more than 150,000 reported to police annually of which six in 10 are residential. Another 30% are business and 10% are other locations such as a school, shed or detached garage.
Research indicates the decision to commit a crime is tied to the perceived risk of being caught. To protect your property, the OPP recommends the following:
- Always keep your front door and garage doors locked, even when you are in the house or backyard.
- Trim hedges below the window level or remove excess landscaping to eliminate hiding spots for criminals.
- Don’t allow strangers into your home.
- Lack of lighting can draw attention to your residence. Use timers to maintain at least two visible lights from the front of the property during the evening. Motion activated lights are also effective against trespassers and helps to alert witnesses.
- Place a piece of wood in the frame of a sliding glass door or window to prevent criminals from lifting them out of place.
- Make sure your home looks lived in. Obvious signs such as un-shovelled snow, uncut lawns, full mailboxes and porch lights left on throughout the day are tell-tale signs that help make the criminals’ job of selecting a target especially easy.
- Engrave an identifying mark on your property to make it easier for police to identify and harder for criminals to sell.
- Take inventory of your property through photos or videos.
- Keep valuables in a safe place when not in use, such as a safety deposit box or in a spot no one would suspect.
For more information on property security, visit Ontario Provincial Police – SafeGuard Ontario Property Security Program or view the Ontario Home Security Audit Guide.
CAMSafe is a program aimed at creating a database of private (residential and commercial) security cameras within communities that will act as a resource for police when investigating crime. The CAMSafe database, only accessible by police officers, is designed to reduce time officers spend searching for footage and play a pivotal role in a fast-moving investigation. For more information about CAMSafe, visit Ontario Provincial Police – CAMSafe.