The West Harbour Resident’s Association was recently contacted by Halton Region Police Services to discuss Break and Enter Prevention efforts in Oakville.  Please find below a letter from Halton Region Police Services to all Oakville residents:

 

Dear Oakville residents,

Over the past couple months, the Town of Oakville has seen an increase in the number of residential break and enters. These break and enters vary and include incidents where doors and windows have been broken and incidents where doors and windows were left unlocked.

 

Recent trends include:

·         Leaning small sticks against doors (including garage doors) to determine if anyone has returned home (opening the doors will drop the stick signaling that someone is home);

·         The same vehicle slowly driving by a house approximately 3 times within a short time frame; and

·         Suspicious people entering backyards to peer through windows.

 

In addition to the attached poster, please take an extra precaution to:

 

·         Lock your doors and set your home alarm even if you are home;

·         If someone rings the door bell, answer the door or at least make it known someone is home by calling out;

·         Avoid keeping garage door openers in your car.  Thieves are known to break into cars and use the opener to access your garage and house; and

·         Call police if you see something out of the ordinary in your neighbourhood.  You know your neighbourhood better than anybody else.  Please report suspicious activity to the non-emergency line (905-825-4777).  The Halton Police will be more than willing to investigate.

 

The following is a 28 minute video regarding how to prevent break-ins and recent fraudulent scams with Oakville Mayor Rob Burton and officers from Halton Regional Police Service:

https://youtu.be/bnlG9D_cUYQ

 

If you’re looking for specific information on how to protect your home, please go to the following times in the video:

 

·         Learn how to better secure your doors: https://youtu.be/bnlG9D_cUYQ?t=2m7s

·         Prevent window breaks: https://youtu.be/bnlG9D_cUYQ?t=16m20s

·         Learn about home security cameras: https://youtu.be/bnlG9D_cUYQ?t=19m56s

 

The Security Camera Resource and Mapping program (SCRAM) enables our community members to voluntarily identify their residential video surveillance location through our secure and confidential online form found on the Halton Regional Police Service website, https://www.haltonpolice.ca/scram/.  This tool will assist officers when investigating criminal activity in your neighborhoods and furthermore, deter and prevent crime. Please consider registering your camera(s).

 

Need to report a crime or suspicious activity? Please call the Halton Police non-emergency line: 905-825-4777

 

Please call the emergency line only to report a crime in progress or, another emergency where assistance is required immediately:EMERGENCY 911

 

If you have any questions and would like to learn more about residential break and enters, please visit www.haltonpolice.ca or, contact Constable Brennan Bryan by email or phone.

 

Thank you,

 

Brennan Bryan

Cst. #9885

Halton Regional Police Service

Oakville – 20 Division

Victim Restoration Officer

brennan.bryan@haltonpolice.ca

P: 905-825-4747 ex. 2261