Community Corner Halifax Police -
Cst. Alan Hughes has noticed a slight, but disturbing, increase in a particular kind of break and enters in the area he normally patrols.
Hughes is the Community Response Officer for the Burnside area of Dartmouth, an area that takes in all of Burnside Industrial Park and Dartmouth Crossing. In recent weeks there have been reports of thieves using rocks or some other heavy object to smash a hole through the front door of businesses.
"The thief then sticks their arm through the hole, unlocks the door and makes entry," Hughes said.
For such a large area the number of break and enters is relatively low. But this disturbing little surge in these brazen types of burglaries has Hughes thinking about the different ways business owners and managers can protect themselves. The first thing Hughes recommends is an alarm.
"I know alarms aren't foolproof but they do help," he said.
Audible alarms, the type that create a distinct noise apparent to anyone in the area, may serve to scare off would-be thieves once a window or door has been broken.
That kind of unwanted attention may protect businesses by making thieves reluctant to enter the building once the alarm has sounded for fear they'll be caught.
Monitored, audible alarms provide more protection because the monitoring company can alert police once the alarm is tripped.
Hughes also recommends business owners look into purchasing windows and doors with shatterproof coatings or impenetrable barriers such as a wire grid.
That may be an expensive alternative but there are other avenues available. Hughes said some products are available that apply a protective film to windows and glass doors making them tougher to shatter.
The hope is that fear of discovery will force the thief to move on if he's unsuccessful at breaking through a door or window. Hughes believes there are relatively few break-ins in Burnside because of the good relationship the business community has with Halifax Regional Police.
