The Alberta RCMP is reminding residents to ensure their property is secured to help combat yard theft and break-and-enters.
According to a June 3 media release, there were just over 3,900 residential break-and-enters in Alberta in 2024, with nearly 370 of them occurring in June alone.
"Property and yard theft are often crimes of opportunity," notes the release. "Learning how to properly secure your property by following simple practices like Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) can make all of the difference."
CPTED, an international concept, has been proven to reduce incidents of property theft while promoting security.
Principles of CPTED include:
- Lighting: Ensure your yard is well lit. Consider installing motion sensor lights at every entry.
- Sightlines: Keep clear sightlines to yards, garages, and entries to prevent places for criminals to hide. Make sure trees and bushes aren’t overgrown, creating cover for a potential thief.
- Gates: A locked gate can help deter a criminal who may not want to waste time trying to get through.
- Windows: Keep windows covered and locked when you’re not home. An empty house is a criminal’s playground.
- Alarms: Consider installing a security system, especially on seasonal properties or if you travel often. This will help ensure that if anything does happen to your property, authorities will be alerted.
- Locks: Always lock any sheds or garages. Keep valuable items like lawn mowers, barbecues, and bikes stored out of sight.
"The Alberta RCMP encourages the public to report any criminal or suspicious activity to police," continues the release. "If you discover a crime has taken place on your property, you should report it to police immediately. Reports tell us where to look, who to look for, and where to patrol in the future."
Anything suspicious in nature should be reported to your local RCMP detachment. For crimes in progress, call 911.
For those wishing to remain anonymous, call Alberta Crimestoppers.
Anyone wishing to get more information on CPTED can follow Alberta RCMP on all the usual social media channels, including Facebook, X, and YouTube.
