RCMP says cold season may bring rise in break and enters, urge vigilance

RCMP says cold season may bring rise in break and enters, urge vigilance

The 8500 block of Ash Street, Richmond; one recent residential break and enter occurred here.

Fall has arrived and it will not be long before winter and the holiday season begin. While it means a time of family and celebration, the cold season also brings with it the possibility of a rise in residential break and enters.

“Sometimes we see numbers increase during the Christmas season or fall season,� says Richmond RCMP Media Liaison Officer Cpl. Dennis Hwang.

Hwang adds that it all depends, as sometimes rises in incidents can occur when recently released criminals with a history of property related crimes reoffend and drops can occur when people are incarcerated. Some also grow desperate during the cold season, and offend to satisfy a need, often for money. As crimes of opportunity, it is very hard to predict exactly when, where and how many times it will happen.

“If it’s one section of the city that break and enters are happening, then we start looking at if there are any other patterns, if there are certain people that are active in that area; are there certain suspects or descriptions that are commonly seen or other people may have witnessed?”

Hwang says.

He says those patterns help police focus their investigation, become more efficient and narrow it down to the person or persons they are looking for. However, Hwang says prevention is everyone’s responsibility.

Homeowners are encouraged to make their residences look “lived-in” to deter criminals.

Investing in automatic timers for lights, and even small things such as collecting newspapers, ensuring garage openers are not visible in vehicles parked outside, or even having lawns mowed can help greatly. Those living in apartments are warned against thinking being above ground level makes them immune. Residents are asked to always remain vigilant and report any suspicious persons or activities to police immediately.

By: Steve Zhang BCIT Broadcast and Online Journalism Set E

Sources:

Primary Contact: Cpl. Dennis Hwang Media Liaison Officer Richmond RCMP (604) 278-1212

dennis.hwang@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

I first learned of this issue from a block watch alert sent to a family member via email. Cpl. Hwang informed me at the time of the interview that the cold season sometimes brings a rise in residential break and enters, and that there are various rises and falls in the number of incidents throughout the year. Certain information was left out of the story and not inquired about during interview, due to its sensitive nature.