Saanich Police are investigating a series of break and enters into homes in the area and are looking for the public’s help in both preventing them and identifying who is responsible.
Between March and July, we have received almost 20 reports of homeowners returning from a trip to find their house ransacked. In most of these cases, the home has been entered through a rear window or door, and jewelry, cash and liquor has been taken. And as noted above, in each case, the residents of the home have been away. We believe that the person or persons responsible are deliberately targeting these homes knowing that they have the luxury of time once inside.
Our investigations into these cases has involved extensive work from our Patrol, Street Crime and Intelligence units. Multiple avenues of investigation are being pursued but we are still in need of more information and are asking the community to help. If you have information on who is responsible, please call us at 250-475-4321 or to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Additionally, if you see someone behaving or looking suspicious in your neighbourhood, we want you to call us at the time you see them. Delaying your call could mean the person has moved on and we are then unable to locate them.
As with many crimes, there are things that we can do to help prevent them from happening. To protect your home from burglars while on a trip, here are some basic tips to follow:
– Ensuring all your doors and windows are closed and locked, regardless of where they are on your house, high or low, big or small;
– Stop paper and parcel deliveries;
– Use motion lights and timers, and ensure your home security system is turned on;
– Tell your trusted neighbours, family, friends and Block Watch Captain that you’ll be away;
– Have someone check on your house regularly; and
– Don’t post your trip on social media until you are home.
There are lots more home security tips on our website at: https://dev.saanichpolice.ca/index.php/crime-prevention/block-watch/home-security
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