We’re getting well into 2013 and HRM Partners in Policing are urging citizens to add some crime prevention tips to their list of New Year’s resolutions. They are as follows:
- Always lock your vehicle when unattended. Never leave spare keys or anything that is or could be perceived as valuable inside.
- Don’t leave your garage door opener in your car as a thief could use it to access your home.
- Keep your car keys next to your bed a night. If you hear someone around your vehicle or in your home, you can press the panic button on your key fob to potentially scare them off. Remember to call 9-1-1 immediately if there’s an intruder in your house.
- Keep the doors and windows of your residence locked, even if you’re out in the yard. You should also lock your garage and/or shed, and keep your property well lit at night. Take time to copy down the serial numbers and take pictures of your valuables and keep this information in a safe place in the event it’s needed.
- If you’re going away on vacation or business, ensure your home appears lived in while you’re away. Put lights on timers, both inside and outside your home. Arrange for a trusted neighbour to watch your house. Have them take in the mail and/or newspapers, and shovel the sidewalks in winter or mow the lawn in summer.
- Get to know your neighbours. In Halifax Regional Municipality, we believe that good neighbours make for great neighbourhoods. By getting to know people in your neighbourhood, you and your neighbours will be more inclined to look out for one another, know when something seems untoward and report suspicious activity to police.
- Set up or join a Neighbourhood Watch group in your community. If you live in an apartment building or condo, you can set up a Vertical Watch instead. Visitwww.halifax.ca/Police/Programs/neighbourhoodwatch.htmlor call Halifax Regional Police at 490-6977 or Halifax District RCMP at 244-7208 for more information.
- Sign-up for CityWatch, a computerized voice and e-mail messaging system that allows you to receive safety-related notifications. Emailcitywatch@halifax.cafor information.
- Contact your local police if you need assistance, observe something suspicious or need to file a report. Call 9-1-1 in emergency situations. For an incident that is not an emergency but requires a police response, call 490-5020. For general inquiries and to report crimes which are not in progress, call 490-5016 to reach Halifax Regional Police and 244-7208 for Halifax District RCMP. You can also report a crime online athttps://www.halifax.ca/police/NonDispatch/index.html
