Help Keep Crime Down and Your Holiday Season Happier
Thunder Bay – LIVING – While you are out shopping, and at this time of the year often for Christmas presents, the sad truth is others may be out shopping too. Only some people are not in the stores, they are shopping the parking lots and streets for the valuables and other items you left in your car or truck.
Keeping your vehicle safer can be a challenge. Here in Thunder Bay on social media there are a number of people posting video from the surveillance cameras at their homes showing car hoppers.
Here are some idea to protect your vehicle and its contents
- Ensure doors are always locked and the keys are in your pocket
- Park in well-lit areas
- Never leave money in plain sight
- Always roll up your car windows
- Put shopping bags and other parcels in the trunk
- Ensure GPS is put in a safe, out-of-sight location
- Keep vehicle registration certificate and proof of insurance on you
- Take electronics, including your cellphone, with you
- Don’t leave your car running unattended
- If parking in the same lot often, park in different spots each day
Protecting Your Home
Keep in mind that this year, there have been several incidents of people stealing Christmas lights from homes. Many people are struggling with issues, including addiction, and are desperate at times. While it might seem all “Hollywood” to confront a person, ask yourself is it really worth it? In any incident like that, calling 911 is a better solution.
The desperation of criminals has been reported in burglars breaking in while people are asleep.
Social Media Shopping Lists?
Keep in mind that Social Media, which has been so key this year for helping keep us all connected can also present a problem. Your post of all the Christmas Presents under the tree, or sharing all those happy moments Christmas morning could be making your home a potential target.
Take the time to secure your social media accounts. While many people seem to treat social media “friend numbers” as a status symbol, consider do you really know all those people? Do you know all of their friends?
Keep your social media bubble tighter and you can reduce the risk.
Protecting Christmas
- Don’t leave the presents under the Christmas tree if they are visible from windows or doors.
- Never keep large amounts of cash at home.
- Make sure you keep your doors and windows locked at all times.
- Keys should always be kept out of sight and not left in doors, or in view of windows.
- Make your house look occupied, use a timer switch to operate lamps as it starts to get dark, leave a radio on.
- Don’t open the door to anybody you don’t recognise. Not sure? Don’t open the door!
After you have opened your Christmas Presents
Burglars and robbers know that many people will have new, and often expensive items in their homes following Christmas and even Boxing Day.
This of course includes new computers, laptops, tablets, music systems, televisions, cameras and other electronic equipment.
Something to avoid, Do not put out the box or boxes that identify your new television, or expensive gift in plain view with your other garbage. Crooks often do their shopping on “Garbage Day” looking for addresses with new loot.
- Break down any boxes you are throwing out and put them in rubbish bags or take them to the recycling centre yourself.
- With computer equipment, you might consider keeping the boxes for safe storage, shipping or moving in the future. Would they be useful as storage boxes?
- Think about keeping broken-down boxes inside in a garage or loft.
