Despite a rash of break-ins over an eight-day period from the end of December into January this year, Angus is still one of the safest places in the county to live, according to Ontario Provincial Police.
Nottawasaga OPP detachment commander Insp. Dave McLagan and media relations officer Const. Mckayla Cotey were at the Angus Recreation Centre on Monday night, sharing tips with homeowners and small-business owners on how to keep their property safe and protected from would-be thieves.
They were invited to speak to residents by Essa Township Mayor Sandie Macdonald, who organized the event with Michael Mikael, the township’s chief administrative officer, following the break-and-enters.
“I can tell you unequivocally, you live in a very safe community,” McLagan assured the three dozen residents who braved high winds and blowing snow to attend the township-sponsored information session, called SafeGuard Awareness.
The night also included a fire safety primer presented by the township’s fire prevention officer Alexandra Fisher.
“The rate of crime here is below average,” he added.
SafeGuard Ontario is a public awareness and education initiative where specially trained members of the OPP and OPP’s Auxiliary Policing Program conduct property security reviews of homes and small businesses, McLagan explained.
Training from SafeGuard Ontario provides an orientation to the basic principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) with a primary focus on 'target-hardening techniques' to help reduce or prevent revictimization of property crimes.
While living in an area that has one of the lowest crime rates in the region may come as little comfort to those who have been victimized by thieves, police say it should offer some consolation to the village's residents who may have been on edge, concerned they’d be the next home or business targeted. McLagan said the OPP arrested and charged the person who was allegedly responsible for recent break-ins.
According to the OPP, break-ins continue to remain an all-too-common occurrence in Canada, with more than 150,000 reported annually, of which six in 10 are residential addresses. Three in 10 are businesses and the remainder are other locations such as a school, shed or detached garage.
While it's impossible to eliminate all break-ins, police say there are many things a homeowner or small-business owner can do to deter what police call “crimes of opportunity," from installing motion-detecting lights and alarm systems to cutting back trees and bushes near the front door and keeping the drapes closed at night.
During her presentation, Cotey shared a number of tips to thwart thieves:
- Don’t hide spare house keys under a front mat or under rocks near the front door as that’s one of the first places a would-be thief looks
- If you have electronic locks, change the codes frequently
- Keep your garage door closed and locked
- Keep all windows, even those on upper floors, locked
- Cover garage windows to prevent “shopping”
- Trim bushes and hedges to ensure there are no hiding places
- Illuminate all points of entry with standard or motion-triggered lights
- Install and use dead bolts on all exterior doors
- Draw your drapes at night to prevent “shopping”
- Utilize timers to turn on interior lights when you’re away
- Get to know your neighbours
“Getting to know your neighbours is one of the best ways to reduce the risk,” McLagan said. “They know what type of car you drive, they know when you get home, they know your patterns and they’ll be aware when something is out of place.”
Cotey offered additional tips for businesses, including:
- Use lighting to highlight doors, windows and active areas
- Leave some lights on at all times
- Keep the entrance free of shrubs and trees
- Check the roof for potential openings
- Install a number of motion-detecting lights in the parking lot and side alley or laneway
- All doors should have a strong one-inch deadbolt that remains locked except when in use
- Promotional banners and posters should be removed from the front windows so passers-by can see in
- Install bars on windows that are easily accessible
- Install a professional alarm and surveillance camera system
Cotey also shared information on the OPP’s Operation Identification and CAMSafe programs.
Operation Identification is a straightforward program — simply engrave your valuables with an identifying number in a highly visible spot. Police recommend you use your driver's licence number or your vehicle licence plate; something that shows an obvious connection between you and your possessions.
According to police, goods that are marked are considered "damaged," making it more difficult for the thief to sell.
Also, Cotey noted, engraved and visible identifiers provide immediate and irrefutable evidence of theft.
CAMSafe was launched by the OPP in 2023 and is aimed at creating a database of residential and commercial security cameras within a community that may act as a resource for police when investigating crime.
According to Cotey, when a police officer uses the CAMSafe database, they will see a map of the local area that features CAMSafe registered addresses. Officers can click on registered addresses to view further details, such as property owner contact information but cannot access your security cameras or cloud-based accounts.
Cotey said if police would like to examine camera footage, they will make a request to the property owner using contact information from the database.
Interested community members who want to participate in the program are only required to provide basic contact information and camera location, but are free to include more details if desired, such as direction the camera faces, footage retention details or screenshots of the camera view.
Those who register for the program can only view their own information, and can delete their account or change their information at any time.