Hello again everyone, it is a pleasure to be back talking with you again.
I would like to start by saying a huge "thank you" to everyone who came out to support the recent Pride Parade here in Calgary. It was amazing to see so many smiling faces; it is incredible to see how far the parade has come in such a short period. As usual, the Calgary Police Service entry was very well received in general, and I want you to know how much your support is appreciated and never taken for granted. I can promise you that discussions are already taking place here at police headquarters in terms of making our attendance more spectacular for 2017, so watch this space! I know that there was a section of the community who were against our attendance in uniform. I get that point of view completely, and have tried to put forward my own views on that in previous articles. However, I would additionally like to thank the members of the Voices coalition for their respectful demonstration at the end of the parade, and the way in which they conducted themselves during our communication pre-event. Some of the points made have changed my individual focus, and I look forward to working with members of that coalition in the coming months as we try and make some positive change.
Talking of coming months, it is not lost on me that the clocks change again soon, which means shorter days and longer nights. With that in mind I wanted to take the time to remind you of some safety tips for when Daylight Savings Time ends.
Neighborhood safety tips.
Remember, your neighborhood is your first line of defense – burglars don’t like watchful neighbors who are collectively interested in the security of their neighborhoods. Next, look at your yard and neighborhood from the burglar’s point of view. These tips may help:
Trim trees and bushes that could hide burglars.
Pay attention to trees growing near your house. Could a burglar climb the tree to access your property?
Keep your yard maintained to give the house a lived-in appearance; cut grass, rake leaves, remove dead branches and clear debris.
Install outside lights to brighten dark areas around doors and windows.
Make sure emergency personnel can easily see your address from the street, even at night.
Home safety tips.
Outside doors and frames should be made of solid wood or steel, which are harder to force than hollow-core doors.
Glass in outside doors should be at least 40 inches from the lock, or be unbreakable.
Secure all outside doors with deadbolt locks.
Install a peephole viewer on the entrance door.
Of course, all the security measures that you implement are no guarantee of immunity to crime.
If your home is broken into
Do not enter the house in case the burglar is still there. Please call 9-1-1 and watch your house until the police arrive.
Do not touch anything until the police have finished checking your house.
Make a list that includes serial numbers for all your valuable items. That way you can provide this to the police and ensures that any found items can easily be returned to you.
Remember, Calgary is statistically still a very safe City. If you follow these simple tips, and make sure that the house is secure at night or whenever you leave your home, your chances of being a victim of burglary are slim.
I am excited to be attending the GSA conference in Edmonton on Saturday November 19th, and will also attend the Transgender Day of Remembrance here in Calgary on the following day, so you can catch me at either event. In the meantime, please look out for each other, take care of yourselves and each other, and feel free to connect with me if you have any questions, comments or concerns.
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Contributor
Constable Andy Buck |
Locale
Calgary |
Topic
Advice |
Discussing Community Safety |
