Thieves not taking any time off this holiday season
Posted December 10, 2017 7:19 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) — It’s that time of year when a spike in break-ins and thefts prompt warnings about avoiding Christmas crooks, and police aren’t the only ones reminding us to better protect ourselves.
The executive director of Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers says too many people make themselves easy targets.
“Make sure those boxes aren’t in the eye of somebody that might be interested in helping themself to your stuff,” Linda Annis says.
She says the thefts of packages and mail from front porches are often caught on video.
“People nowadays are doing an awful lot more online shopping, so parcels get left and people always feel that they will be mistaken and no one will know or think to look at the cameras.”
She adds thieves aren’t just patrolling neighbourhoods for packages dropped off at your door step.
“Be careful how you recycle your gift boxes. Often times, people are looking to see who’s advertising that they got that new TV or a new video game or a new computer.”
Annis says, because most tips are anonymous, she can’t explain how Crime Stoppers has helped catch holiday criminals, but so far this year, nearly 6,000 anonymous tips have helped police recover almost $10 million worth of property and drugs.
Ten Tips from Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers:
1. Did your shopping online? Don’t leave packages sitting on your porch
2. Recycle the gift boxes? Yes! But…
When that pile of cardboard outside your house advertises you have a new 60-inch TV, video game consoles, tablets or computers, it’s like waving a flag for crooks.
3. When it comes to outdoor lights, better to be an “outie” than an “innie”
When plugging in your outdoor lights, use an exterior electrical outlet. It might seem convenient sometimes to plug them into an indoor socket, but it also means leaving the door or window open a crack for the cord.
4. Keep an eye on your “Frosty” – use home video and motion censors
It’s not unheard of for inflatables or other large lawn ornaments to be pilfered. Use motion sensors to activate lights and arm your burglar an alarm in case someone’s snooping around your home.
5. Who’s that knocking at my door?
Be wary of crooks posing as door-to-door donation seekers.
6. LOL! I’m away on #vacay!
When you post online that you’re away on a winter break, especially after posting all those pictures of the cool stuff you got on December 25th, thieves can see your posts too.
7. Watch who you’re bumping into
Public transit and malls get pretty crowded during the holiday shopping season. Keep purses and wallets where you can keep track of them and thwart pick-pockets.
8. Keep the window shopping at the mall – not at your house
Make sure gifts inside the house aren’t visible from the outside.
9. Take it easy shopping – don’t be in a rush and lose your credit cards
10. Mine! Mine! All mine!
Etch your property with your driver’s license number, and photograph valuables and their markings showing make, model and serial number. If it’s stolen and later found by police, there’s a better chance that you’ll get it back.
