Rimmi Purewal
Mission RCMP
What is the first place that comes to mind when you think about storage of your tools and equipment at home? Most of you will answer “Garage.” Many of you have also spent beautiful weekend afternoons organizing your garage while members of the community take walks through your area. It is important to recognize that offenders may take these opportunities to blend in and “scope out” what you have in your garage, and then think about how to get their hands on it.
So, how can you enhance security on your property to mitigate the chances of garage break-in’s? Here are some quick tips:
- Close your garage door(s). An open overhead garage door is an open invitation to offenders.
- Ensure there is adequate lighting in dark areas. Offenders generally like to operate in the dark where they won’t be seen. When you illuminate your driveway and the area around your garage you can help reduce the chances of a break-in to your garage.
- Remove your garage door opener from your vehicle! While access is to your garage, it essentially acts as a second key to your home. Deny offenders the opportunity to gain access to your garage door opener by treating it like any key – bring it indoors with you.
- Install a garage door alarm. These operate similar to alarm locks on windows; if they sense any motion at the garage, they will emit a loud noise and notify homeowners as well as neighbours.
- Bonus Tip: Ensure the door connecting the garage to your home is always locked. Remember, it takes an offender’s desire + a target + an opportunity for an offender to commit a crime. By taking away the opportunity, you have prevented the crime.