By Kristen Rynax
After a recent string of burglaries in Centretown, Ottawa police are warning residents to lock up their homes and befriend their neighbours.
During the first weeks of October, Det. Angela McDade says there was a noticeable increase in residential burglaries.
“I would say there was an increase of about nine to 10, but in most cases access was very easy, which is why we put out a press release,” she says. But she added: “It’s not out of control in comparison to last year.”
In most incidents, burglars gained access through unlocked doors, flip-screen windows and balconies, McDade says. High-ticket items such as cameras, laptops and jewelry were stolen.
On a few occasions burglars were surprised by residents waking up during the night, McDade says. But, she said there were no confrontations or injuries. In these instances, McDade says residents would have scared the burglars away.
There was no pattern among the burglaries and nothing to suggest they were all confined to one area. Burglaries occurred both during the day and evening.
No arrests have been made, but police have identified suspects, McDade says.
Knowing your neighbours is the best measure of security, Sgt. Richard Dugal says.
“Maybe it’s coffee and timbits once in a while, but good neighbours will challenge the unknown,” he says.
In many cases, individuals on drug binges burgle homes.
“They need money and the more they crave, the more money they need,” he says.
“People are chemically dependent to the point they are willing to risk being discovered to get money.”
Dugal says the objective for these people is finding easy targets. If they have to walk door-to-door until they find a prime candidate, they will.
Once familiar with the area, they become comfortable committing break and entries.
“The rule of thumb is 20 per cent of criminals commit 80 per cent of crimes,” Dugal says.
Dugal recalls one incident when he arrested a man for 28 burglaries across Ottawa. Once arrested, the number of burglaries decreased.
“Once those people are out of circulation the crime rate goes down,” he says.
Taking security precautions is the best defence against burglaries, Dugal says. This doesn’t necessarily mean installing an alarm system. In some cases common sense rules, such as locking your door can make all the difference.
Residents can also access security programs through the Ottawa Police. Dugal says volunteers trained in crime prevention perform house audits and provide recommendations on the best security measures available. Homeowners can then decide the level of security best suited for them.
A window sticker is the first step in defensive measures, says Greg Henderson, of Henderson Security Solutions. He said security company decals are credible, but says burglars are not stupid.
There hasn’t been a drastic increase in alarm system requests in the past month, Henderson says, but he expects it to pick up as Christmas approaches.
Ottawa police also warn that cold weather brings higher rates of break and enters and recommend now is the time of year to take security measures.