By Bob Lang
A community resident has let us know that his vehicle has been broken into four times since August. He reported these incidents to the police. He says they documented the incident but there has been no follow up from them. He naturally is upset and frustrated.
The police have told us that it is important to report every incident as it lets them know where “hot spots” are. I have visited the Ramsay Police Station and have seen how they keep track of these hot spots. They have a big map in a room with reports posted. They in turn allocate their resources to these hot spots.
They also have told us it is important not to have anything visible in your vehicle that appears to be of value to someone who might break in. Even a few coins that are visible might trigger someone to break in. I personally have had two break-ins over the many years I have lived in the community. In both cases there was something of apparent value visible. In one case it was a GPS unit. In another case it was a monitor for a back-up camera. They took the monitor, which would have been of no value without the camera. I have since been very careful not to have anything visible of apparent value and have had no problems.
Even if you do not have your vehicle on the street, you can help monitor what is going on and report incidents. Amanda West, our Treasurer, saw a break-in in front of her building. The back window had been broken. In the back seat was a gym bag with a tag of a gym. She phoned the gym and they contacted the owner. She stayed until the owner showed up.
If you see something in progress, report it to 911. If it is after the fact, phone 403-266-1234. Some incidents can be reported online www.calgarypolice.ca. See their website for details.