60% increase in thefts in 1 month
Golden-Field
2022-09-15 01:02 PDT
After a sixty-percent spike in thefts in Golden in the last month, the Golden-Field RCMP is sharing information and tips on auto theft and crime reduction strategies.
Criminals who break into vehicles are known as opportunistic offenders. That means that they tend to look for easy targets like vehicles with valuables left in the open or vehicles that have been left unlocked or running.
Please do your part to keep your belongings and neighbourhoods safe from opportunistic thieves. The following are some tips to avoid being the victim of theft.
Do:
- Lock your vehicle doors and roll up your windows. Even if you don’t have anything valuable in your car, a locked door and rolled up window will discourage thieves looking for an easy target. It will also deter those who would go into an unlocked car to look for a trunk or hood release button in order to steal parts or the contents of the trunk.
- Park in well-lit/well-populated areas where "natural surveillance" can serve as a deterrent.
- Take your garage opener, house/business/mail keys and vehicle registration papers out of your vehicle when it is parked. If thieves steal these items, they can use them to commit other crimes including identity theft and break & enter.
- Check on your vehicle. Even if you are not driving it regularly, a daily check can help ensure that we get information of criminal activity in a timely manner. If you are away on vacation, have a trusted friend or neighbour check to ensure it has not been broken into.
- Lock up your bicycles, even if they are on your property.
- Take down serial numbers and photograph all of your valuable items. Without these, it is very difficult for police to identify stolen property as yours.
- Consider crime prevention through environmental design, such as putting up motion-sensor lighting and/or cameras around your property.
Do not:
- Do not leave your car running. Whether to cool it down in summer, or warm it up in winter, leaving your vehicle running with the keys inside is extremely high risk, and you are tempting someone to steal it.
- Do not store car keys, or spare keys, in visible spots in your home. Keep keys in a secure spot, where they are not visible through a window.
- Do not leave your valet key, spare key or house keys inside the vehicle.
- Never leave briefcases, purses and backpacks that may contain wallets, identification, laptops, cell phones and other valuables unattended in your vehicle. Not even for a moment. Not even locked in your trunk or glove box. You never know when a criminal is around looking for an opportunity. But you can rest assured that thieves know to check the trunk and glove box if they don't see anything out in the open.
- Do not leave the security of your vehicle to chance. If your vehicle does not come equipped with an immobilizer, consider having one installed or buying and using an anti-theft device.
If you see something, say something!
Public safety is everyone's responsibility—and it is easy. The best way to do your part for public safety is to get connected to your neighbourhood, pay attention to what is going on around you and report any criminal or suspicious activity to the police.
Released by
Cst. Kat Robinson
Media Relations OfficerGolden-Field RCMP
1419 11th Ave N Golden BC V0A 1H0
Email:
katherine.robinson@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
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