Thank you to everyone who attended the Community Safety Chat with Constable Price on May 10th.  This was a very informative session and we learned a few key points:

• Speed is a personal choice, can you live with the consequences?
• Out-of-sight out-of-mind.  If you leave valuables in plain sight in your vehicle, expect that sooner or later they will be removed for you.
• Keep your insurance and registration in your wallet.  If someone breaks into your vehicle and your insurance and registration are there, they can simply pull into your garage, close the garage door and use something in your garage to break into your home.  Your address is on those documents, so don’t leave them in your vehicle.
• If you see something suspicious then don’t be afraid to call.  It is safer to make the call then it is to think “oh it’s probably nothing” and then something gets stolen, damaged or worse.  Make the call to 911, they are happy to hear your voice.
• Take flyers off your door, it is a sign to thieves that you are not home.  When your neighbours are on holiday take their flyers as well, help out your community.
• Get an alarm system, at the very least it reduces how long a burglar can be in your home.  It is better they have 10 – 20 minutes to look around and then get out than if they have the entire day to explore everywhere in your home.
• A Doorbell Camera can notify you when someone is at your door so you can call the police if they are not known to you and try to break in.  Most interact with your smartphone so you don’t even have to be home to keep an eye open.
• Do not give money to homeless people. Give money to CUPS and Mustard Seed, etc. The money doesn’t help the homeless people directly and there are several “professional homeless people” that make a lot of money doing it. Maybe even more than you do.  If you want to help, give your money to the service providers whose job it is to help the homeless properly.
• Don’t be a vigilante, be the best witness you can be.  Especially when it is just property, that can always be replaced.  Your life cannot.  Everyone has a smartphone or other cameras handy so take pictures, call the police, get the bad guys caught red-handed.