Crime Stoppers urges Lower Mainland residents to check these 9 safety items every night

Crime Stoppers is reminding Metro Vancouver residents that they shouldn’t let their guard down, not even on those long summer nights.

Sunlight doesn’t equal safety, and safeguards should be taken at all hours of the day, especially as the day winds down into evening.

Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers executive director Linda Annis, who also serves as a Surrey city councillor, demonstrated the “9 at 9” safety approach to home security in Cloverdale Wednesday morning (June 19), with Surrey RCMP Insp. Wendy Mehat.

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This time of year, when the days get longer and residents are unwinding is a time “for everybody to be extra careful when we go away for summer or, if we’re doing a stay-vacation, that we don’t get too lax about things,” said Annis.

According to a Crime Stoppers press release, “Burglaries often show no sign of forced entry, demonstrating a need to remind everyone that “nine” common-sense precautions taken about “9” o’clock each evening can make a big difference. Every summer, people still make it too easy for burglars to steal things from homes or yards – even while they’re still at home.”

“Open doors and windows, unlocked cars in the driveway, and leaving valuables like bikes sitting outside your yard are invitations to crooks. No one can watch everything around the house all the time, even from the back patio,” said Annis.

“Brighter evenings can leave us with a false sense of security. We should all remember to do a quick, basic security check around the house every night of the year whether it’s light out or dark. It’s common sense,” she said.

In #Cloverdale this morning to learn about summer home security with Crime Stoppers. This year’s focus is the “9 at 9” safety routine. pic.twitter.com/CXqRKMlq54

— Sam Anderson (@sam_andrsn) June 19, 2019

Here are the nine things that Crime Stoppers is urging every resident do at 9 p.m.:

Remove everything from inside your car, including loose change, garage door openers and pop bottles.
Roll up your car windows and lock the doors.
Lock up all bikes, ladders and even garden equipment — don’t leave your lawnmower out.
Make sure your garage door is closed, and that the door leading into the house from inside the garage is locked.
Close and lock all the doors and windows of your home.
Set your alarm, if you have one, and be sure to regularly check your video security equipment.
Leave an outside light on overnight to illuminate your front door.
Make sure that any package deliveries are picked up from your front step promptly.
Don’t let newspapers or mail pile up, as this will indicate that no one’s home.

Insp. Mehat also encouraged citizens to join their local Block Watch, which provides monthly training on crime prevention initiatives and access to a series of speakers.

“There’s such an enhanced community with Block Watches, and it also ensures that crime is lowered in neighbourhoods,” said Mehat.

She also pointed to the RCMP’s new reporting tool, which allows residents in Surrey, Richmond, Ridge Meadows and Kelowna to report non-emergency crimes online.