Safeguard against a break-and-enter

Large photo of broken entry door here

If you have ever been the victim of a break and enter, or have even had something stolen out of your car, you know what a terrible feeling it is to know that not only have things of yours been stolen, but that a complete stranger has invaded your privacy. Although residential break and enters are not an everyday occurrence in Mission, they do happen from time-to-time. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to help safeguard your property:

• Keep your doors and windows locked. People looking to steal usually look for the fastest, easiest way to get something of value, and if they find your home is well-secured, they might just leave it alone;
• Consider installing a live-view camera system. There are a variety of affordable systems that install wirelessly, and have features such as two-way communication, and alerts sent straight to your phone. If you see on your camera that someone suspicious is at your door, you may be able to speak with them remotely. They have no way of knowing that you’re not actually home, and are much less likely to try anything knowing that someone has seen them;
• Get to know your neighbours! Whether you’re away for the day or for a week, it’s great to have someone who is familiar with the usual people at your house, and know how to reach you if they see something out of the ordinary;
• Know your stuff. Note serial numbers and take photos of high-value items that are commonly targeted for theft, such as laptops, bikes, power equipment and firearms. If anything is ever stolen, it’s much more likely that police will be able to return it to you if we have some specifics about what we’re looking for;
• Secure your outdoor spaces. If your house is secure, make sure your outdoor items are too. Lots of times a thief has no need to go through the added work of breaking into your house when your garden shed in the backyard has a nice bike, a weed-whacker and a boat motor just sitting there;
• Garage door openers in vehicles. Be cautious about leaving a garage door opener in a vehicle parked in your driveway. If you’re away and your vehicle gets broken into, one click of a button and the offender will get access to your garage, which may also allow access into the rest of your home;
• What about alarm-systems? While audible alarms can be a deterrent, keep in mind that break-and-enters often last no more than a few minutes. Usually when an alarm triggered, the alarm company will try to reach one of the homeowners on file to confirm that you didn’t set off the alarm accidentally, then they will call police. By the time an officer is dispatched and drives to your house, the suspect has probably had enough time to grab what they came for and leave. Some alarm companies do offer live-video monitoring as well, which can help to speed up the process, and may help police to know who we’re looking for in the area if the offender has left before we get there.

Hopefully a thief never has your property on their to-do list, but in case they do, putting some safeguards in place ahead of time might make them quickly change their mind when they realize that your property is just not worth their trouble.