By Shane Clausing

protect your valuables

RCMP providing tips to protect residents against property crime

May 8, 2021 | 7:00 AM

The Alberta RCMP is reminding all residents to pay attention and to protect their properties this spring.

In May of 2020, RCMP detachments in Alberta received 313 reports of residential break and enters and 39 seasonal property break and enters.

Jennifer Kee, a Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist with the RCMP says May is usually when police see the most property thefts of the year.

“May, in particular, is a little bit busier. That’s because it’s the first dose of warm weather we’ve had in six months.”

“People are eager to get out and about and people are travelling to their seasonal properties to get them opened up and ready for the season. So, we have more properties being left unattended.”

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Because properties are being left unattended, that means people can tend to forget to lock up their loose items in their front or backyards.

Items people sometimes forget to lock up include bikes and gardening tools, among others.

Kee reminds residents before they leave their house, or before they go to bed, always make sure items are put away and out of sight of the public’s eye.

“What we are basically asking is for (people) to incorporate a daily routine where maybe at 9:00 p.m. where you check around your yard and make sure everything is put away.”

“We know that kids like to leave their bicycles out, (you) might forget your gardening tools, make sure your shed is secure and even when you are inside your house, keep your front door locked.”

If you are going away, or want to potentially scare off any thieves, Kee says making sure you have good lighting will help.

“Are you giving the illusion that somebody is in your house? Have you left lights on a dimmer switch? Have you left your blinds kind of open? You just want to do small things like that to give the illusion somebody is at home.”

Kee also wanted to reiterate to residents that if you see something suspicious, you should call your local law enforcement, just to be safe.

“If you see something suspicious, please call us. It might not be a big deal to you at the time, but if you are even having that idea in your head, please report it. We may not be able to act on it right away, but it does collect data for us.”