PROTECTING YOUR PROPERTY

Ok, so maybe you don't need to go to this extreme..... but you get the idea.

Securing your property may be one of the easiest steps you can take in protecting your belongings.  It's easy to do and can save you a lot of heartache. 

YOUR HOME:  Always lock your doors and windows when you leave your home.  Whether you're going to be gone for two hours or two weeks, you should always secure your home before leaving.  If you have an alarm system, use it.  Do not leave valuables in plain view for potential intruders.  It's a good idea to close your curtains if you plan on being gone so would-be thieves cannot see your valuable belongings inside your residence.  If you're going on vacation, it may be a good idea to talk to a trusted neighbor and let them know so they can keep an eye on your property and alert police of any unknown vehicles or people that may be on your property while you are away.  You can also take advantage of our "Vacation Watch" program at the police department.  Just call us or stop in to sign up.  We will check on your property while you are away.

YOUR VEHICLE:   Whether you're at the store, at home or on vacation somewhere, your vehicle should remain locked at all times when unoccupied.  Your vehicle is an easy target when it is unlocked and there is nothing detering a thief from entering your vehicle and stealing your belongings.  Bystanders may not even be alerted to a thief breaking into your vehicle if it is unlocked because, to a stranger, they could look like the vehicle's owner.  If your vehicle is locked, a thief would likely have to break a window to gain entry, thus drawing attention to themselves and alerting people in the area of a crime in progress.  Another good deterent is to leave nothing of any significant value in plain sight in your vehicle.  If you have to bring electronics or other valuables with you, place them in the trunk or glove compartment:  "Out of sight - out of mind". 

YOUR BICYCLE:  If you live in an area where you use your bicycle for transportation or recreation and have to leave it unattended occasionally, always have a bike lock with you and secure it to a solid structure.  Your bicycle is much more likely to be stolen if it is unsecured.  It's also a good idea to register your bicycle on-line (for example, www.nationalbikeregistry.com).   At minimum, you should keep record of the make, model, color and serial number of your bicycle, so if it is stolen you can provide police with this information.  If you have this information available, police can enter this information into a country-wide database and your chances of recovering the bicycle increase significantly. 

YOUR PERSONAL BELONGINGS:  Always record all necessary information on your valuable belongings and keep it in a safe place.  Instead of just storing it in your computer, you may consider storing it in your e-mail account so if your computer is stolen or in case of a house fire, you will still have access to the information.  You might also provide a copy of your valuables to a trusted family member.  You should record the following information on every item you can:  make/manufacturer, model/model number, color, serial number.  For items that do not have a serial number, you may consider engraving a number (such as your driver's license number) on the item so it can be identified as yours.  The police department has an engraving tool that you may use for this purpose.  On items without these numbers, such as jewelry, keep a detailed description and photograph the items and keep this information in a safe place.  This will greatly aid in any recovery efforts made by police. 

Always remember that PREVENTION is your best weapon in protecting your property!