What’s the consequence of an unlocked door? It all depends on who discovers that unlocked door. To the resident of the house, it might be an “Oops!” moment, with a resolution to lock up next time. To your trusted neighbor or a police officer on patrol, it might prompt a reminder like, “Hi…you left your doors unlocked again”. To a criminal, an unlocked door is an invitation, “Go ahead; take my stuff”. And for our critics: this is not victim-blaming; this is trying to prevent people becoming victims. It’s common-sense crime prevention – the sort of thing we all tell our own family members – “Look after your stuff”.
From May 11-18th there were 43 break & enters in Regina. Of these: 19 (or 44%) were garage B&Es, many of which were the result of unlocked, or open, garage doors. In some cases, a garage door opener is left in view in the victim’s vehicle, and a thief breaks into the vehicle to take the garage door opener.
There are a number of proactive strategies to help prevent garage break and enters:
- Securely lock all garage doors; both outside doors and the attached doors that lead into the house;
- Remove garage door openers from cars parked on the street or driveway. To thieves, that small piece of plastic is the key to a treasure trove of valuables, and even possible access to your house through an attached garage;
- Assess the condition of garage doors. A weak or damaged door or lock is easily forced open by would-be intruders;
- Install motion sensor lights by your driveway/doors.
Crime prevention involves the whole community. Anyone who sees suspicious activity is encouraged to call the Regina Police Service at 306-777-6500. If you see a crime in progress, call 9-1-1.
