By Shaun Penner

#9PMROUTINE

Alberta RCMP sending nightly notifications in hopes of protecting people from theft

Jul 3, 2019 | 8:21 AM

Alberta RCMP are trying to combat property-related crime by sending out nightly reminders to get citizens to follow a routine of protecting their personal property from would-be thieves.

RCMP in the province responded to close to 36,000 property-related crimes between June and August last year.

The hashtag 9 PM routine (#9PMroutine) is being used across their social media platforms as part of a global movement to raise awareness.

Nightly reminders will be posted on Alberta RCMP’s social media accounts.

Fraser Logan of the RCMP says these tips cover a wide variety of areas.

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“Those tips are kind of based on the themes, so if it’s a long weekend ensure that you’re taking the keys out of your boat.”

He stresses the importance of locking vehicles.

“And take out everything, even change in a cupholder is tempting enough for an individual to want to smash into and grab.”

An ongoing issue in Grande Prairie and across the province is bicycle thefts.

Logan says if a bicycle is in plain sight, near a public area or busy street, that is an invitation for thieves to try to grab it. He says always lock up bicycles.

“If they have to go through even the simplest chains to get at a bike, they’re going to move on because that’s one or two extra minutes they don’t want, because they could get caught. ”

Almost 50 per cent of all reported bicycle thefts occurred during the summer months.

RCMP are also trying to combat the number of thefts that occur on farms and rural properties.

Logan says installing enough lighting and ensuring all doors to outbuildings are locked can help deter some criminals.

“Just take an extra second to remove keys, immobilizing certain off highway vehicles like ATVs, just by disconnecting the battery. Thieves do not want to go through the extra effort. If it’s not going to take them less than a minute to take something, then they don’t want it at all.”

Alberta RCMP will be posting reminders every night for the summer months on their Twitter (@RCMPAlberta) and Facebook (@RCMPinAlberta).

w/files from Sheena Roszell