Have You Safe-Guarded Your Home?

Residential and business “break and enters” are “crimes of opportunity”. Opportunity is defined as the weakness the criminal sees in the target - your home. As a result, it is almost impossible to anticipate where or when a break and enter will occur.

In other words, any home or commercial premise, unless suitably secured, will offer the opportunity for break and enter, and for other types of thefts, such as theft from automobiles, to occur. If criminals are certain no one is home, they will feel safer committing the crime. These same criminals often canvass neighbourhoods looking for uncut lawns and stuffed mail boxes, or they spend evenings looking for homes or insecure cars in dark locations, or homes with lights that have been left on too long.

In more than half of all break and enter cases the suspect or suspects gain entry to the homes by an insecure window or patio door. In the other cases the suspect or suspects kick or shoulder the front or back doors of homes.

The anatomy of a Break and Enter:

• Suspect or suspects randomly select homes by knocking on the door to see if anyone is home. They will often walk around the home prior to entering the home. If there is more than one, one of the suspects will stand “6” watching for neighbours, the homeowner returning or police arriving.
• Homeowner returns to discover break and enter.
• Call police.
• Saanich Police arrive. Check home for points of entry and exits. Record missing property (serial numbers etc). Neighbourhood is canvassed looking for anyone that may have seen anyone in the area that did not belong. Saanich Police FIS members arrive to collect forensic evidence.
• Victim services offered to homeowner.
• Victim must file claim with insurance company. The victim must also have any damage done to the door or window repaired.
• Replace stolen items such as laptops, cameras and gaming system. Hopefully the homeowner had back-up copies of information on their laptop and back-ups of photos on cameras.

How To Minimize Chances of Being Broken In To:

- Secure all windows and doors. Modernize locks on all doors providing access to your home and attached garage. Install back-up slide locks for windows and sliding patio doors, if appropriate.

- Get to know your neighbours – community building block (BLOCK WATCH).

- Stop mail and newspaper delivery until you return from your holiday.

- If going away for an extended period, get someone to house and pet sit for you.

- Call to report any suspicious people or vehicles in your neighbourhood.

- Engrave your driver’s licence number on all household electronic devices.

- Store unused family jewellery in safety deposit box.

- Ensure you back-up the information on your laptop computer and digital cameras.

- Trim shrubbery that hides approaches to your door or windows. Over grown shrubs provide you privacy however they also provide shelter to thieves.

There are several crime prevention tools developed to help owners, tenants, and residents of properties to take basic steps to improve security. Many of these techniques for securing doors and windows are inexpensive. Some are do-it-yourself methods.

The Saanich Police assists homeowners and tenants with providing several crime prevention programs, such as our successful Block Watch and Business Block Watch.  Block Watch is a community-based crime prevention program that is organized and operated by concerned residents in any neighbourhood. The purpose of the program is to create an awareness of criminal activities in the area, and to encourage all residents within the program boundaries to become more involved, not only by taking steps to improve the security of their home, but to also report suspicious activities immediately to the police.

If you would like informatation on this free program or any other crime prevention program, please contact the Saanich Police Block Watch Office at 475-4365 or the Saanich Police Community Liaison Office at 475-4346.

The Saanich Police also offers a free home inspection to all Saanich residents. This 30 to 45 minute inspection is with a uniformed member of the Saanich Police. The idea is to identify weakness in your home security and to offer solutions that will go towards minimizing the likelihood of being broken into.

(SP 08-3937)