If there's one piece of advice RCMP Sgt. Phil Penny gives over and over, it's this: lock it up.
"I can't say it enough," he said. When it comes to property crimes, the nearly universal commonality between them is that someone didn't lock something up, he explained.
"Lock your car, lock your garage, lock your home, lock up your guns," he said. "You worked hard for it, so work hard to keep it."
Property crimes are rising all across Alberta as some individuals, reeling from the economic impact of a decline in the oil energy sector, have turned to crime to make a quick dollar.
"It's a no-brainer," Penny said. "It's due to the economy."
In many cases, it's simply a quick check of a vehicle to see if it is unlocked, then looting anything of value inside. Whether it's a handful of change from a cup holder to electronics, vehicles are popular targets.
Penny said that simply locking up vehicles, garages and homes is often not enough if valuables are left in plain sight. Tempting targets make breaking in more attractive to potential thieves.
"Nothing is impregnable," he said. "Banks and armored trucks are robbed."
Layers of protection can help deter thieves. A car with valuables in it can be locked, but it can also be locked inside a locked garage. Each layer of protection adds to the chances thieves will pass a person by as there are, unfortunately, easier targets out there.
Keeping properties neat and tidy also helps, because it sends the message that people are home and are living in a place. When grass is overgrown, hedges aren't cut, and mail is left out, the abandoned appearance of a home makes it a target, Penny said.
If you're going on vacation, having someone pick up mail, mow the lawn, and check the home is a good plan to have in place. Using timers to turn on lights can also give the appearance that someone is home.
Outlying communities eye COP with interest
The communities of Big Valley and Erskine are the latest to express interest in the Citizens on Patrol (COP) program, which has recently been resurrected in Stettler.
Citizens on Patrol (COP) has elected a new board and is in the early stages of resuming community patrol activities as of early May.
The group fell inactive last year after declining involvement had the board at the time not renew its membership. With the arrival of the new sergeant as well as the uptick in property crime with the decline in the economy, the COP program became a viable and attractive extra layer of security for
the community.
Const. Carter Boytinck is the RCMP liaison with COP, which is independent from the RCMP. The group works cooperatively with the police to help check business doors to ensure they're locked, help patrol areas where crime is more prevalent, and otherwise keep their eyes peeled.
People who want to volunteer with COP have to contact the Boytinck at the detachment to fill out an application. A criminal background check is part of the process, but a criminal record won't automatically disqualify someone.
Anyone with questions or wanting to join can call the Stettler RCMP detachment at 403-742-3382.