The Central Okanagan has seen significant increases in property crime this year and police want the public’s help to curb the trend.
Residential break and enters are up 38 per cent so far this year while thefts from vehicles are up 16 per cent.
Police say no place in the Central Okanagan is immune to property crime. In fact, some home owners are making themselves prime targets by forgetting to complete one simple task: Locking their doors.
RCMP suggest even when you are home or in the backyard, your doors and windows should be locked to prevent someone from walking in. Police are still seeing upwards of 50 per cent of victimized homes and vehicles in urban areas being left unlocked, while that number reaches closer to 100 per cent in rural areas.
A small amount of due diligence by a homeowner or vehicle owner can go a long way in crime prevention.