“Even if you are home and out in the backyard doing something, the front door should be locked … (while) it is (also) a good idea to have your doors locked even when you are at home.”
That is the advice from Moose Jaw Police Service Chief Rick Bourassa.
During an April 21 media scrum, Chief Bourassa was asked about people committing property crimes and trespassing on private property.
The chief said people need to be diligent in preventing thefts as there was “nothing new with people in person’s yards.” But at the same time, he also said he had not been made aware of a spike in crimes targeting people’s homes and yards.
“There are always those situations, but I have not (heard) or seen an increase in those types of incidents.”
When it came to suspicious vehicles or persons, the chief said if spotted by residents, there is nothing wrong with reporting it.
“We ask that people call us if someone is acting suspicious or on their property. We will respond,” he said, adding very often, by the time the police do respond, the suspicious person or vehicle has moved on or it is harmless interaction or a mistake.
Such calls are often routine.
“We get suspicious vehicles (and) suspicious persons calls quite often, and it is important that people call us if they have concerns ... most often it is a harmless situation, but it is always better to check than not check,” Bourassa said.
He did, however, issue a warning.
“But there are times when they are looking to break in or to steal, so we really ask people to call us about that,” he said.
Asked about preventing people from trespassing or protecting property, Chief Bourassa mentioned fencing, yard lighting and cameras as methods to prevent it.
“There are lots of little things people can do if they are concerned about that,” he said.
If people have more concerns, he encouraged them to contact the MJPS for assistance.
“We would certainly encourage people to contact us about that if there are things they (think they) can do to ensure their places are more secure.”
Chief Bourassa also warned people not to have valuable items on display in their vehicles and remove keys from vehicles as it is the main way cars are stolen.
