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Hamilton Police Services encourage residents/businesses to
report EVERYTHING they see going on or suspect something going on in the
community to police. Report ALL crimes, even if they seem minor. There will be
times when police cannot respond to the incident immediately. Your call helps
police track what is happening and often is related to other crimes currently
being investigated. When people do not call police, police are limited in what
they can do and even hinders their investigations. They cannot always continue
to contact individual residents and share information but want the public to
know that they do investigate ALL calls. The information they cannot share with
you relates to other crimes but the public will not know that.
Police need feedback from the community
in problem areas. Contact police for any incidents or suspected incidents of
crime. Contact (if not 911 emergency) the Waterdown Community Policing Centre,
located at 163 Dundas St E (old municipal building) in Waterdown at 905-689-1554
or the Hamilton Mountain Policing Centre at 905-546-4931.
Crime Prevention Tips for Residents
Auto Theft Prevention
- Never hide a second set of keys in or on your
vehicle.
- Lock your doors.
- Never leave your keys in your ignition.
- Don’t leave valuables, shopping bags or coats in
view.
- Use a steering column lock.
- Don’t leave your garage door opener in your car or in
plain sight.
- Park in a well-lit area. If parking in malls, park in
a populated area.
- At home, park in your garage. Thieves generally will
not take the time to look for a vehicle parked in a garage.
- Use your emergency brake and leave your transmission
in park. Turn the wheels toward the curb or side. These actions make it more
difficult to tow your vehicle (thieves can use tow trucks to steal cars).
- Close all windows at all times.
- Alarms, locks and other visible theft deterrents make
it clear to the thief that your car is well protected.
- Vehicle locks – use one or more of these as a
deterrent
- Brake pedal locks
- Wheel locks
- Tire locks/tire deflators
- Laminated glass
- Hood locks
- Car alarms & window stickers to show that the vehicle
has a car alarm.
Home Security
OUTSIDE
To a burglar, visibility means vulnerability. They hide behind fences and
shrubbery.
- Use picket or chain link fences
- Keep hedges clipped down and around waist level
INDOORS
- Burglars try the doors and windows first. If a
burglar has difficulty here, chances are they will move on to another
property.
- Take an inventory of items of value in your home. Use
a video camera or a camera to inventory you items.
- Use an ultraviolet pen or marker on items of value.
This is a cheap method of marking items and can be used on metal, wood,
pottery or canvas items. It does eventually wear off and needs to be
reapplied.
- Have an alarm system. Every alarm system should have
a fail-safe battery backup and feedback device to check the system.
- A sticker or sign on door/window advising of house
alarm.
- Lighting around your property, timers, etc.
- Dogs are a great deterrent.
DOORS
- Lock your doors at all times.
- Locks: The strongest are deadbolt locks with a
minimum 1” throw bolt containing a hardened, saw-resistant steel insert.
Attach the strike plate to the doorframe with 4” screws. The double cylinder
deadbolt lock requires a key from both sides, preventing a burglar from
breaking glass in the door and turning the knob from the inside. Make sure
the cylinder of the lock has a steel guard – a ring around the key section.
The cylinder guard should be tapered, or it should rotate around the key
section to prevent wrenching. Remember; a double cylinder dead-bolt can also
block your exit in an emergency.
- Hinges: Doors that swing out have hinges on the
outside. A burglar can easily remove the hinge pins and lift the door out.
To foil this, remove the centre screw from each side of the hinge and insert
a metal pin or headless screw on one side. When the door is closed, the end
of the pin will fit into the opposite hole. Thus, even if the pins are
removed, the door will remain bolted to the frame.
- Padlocks: Overhead doors, receiving doors, garage
doors – all are typically secured with padlocks and hasps. Look for sturdy
padlocks that don’t release the key until the padlock is closed. The padlock
should be case-hardened with a 3/8: shackle to resist repeated smashing.
Remember, a padlock is only as good as the hasps on which it is mounted; so
bolt hasps securely to a metal plate, and make sure the bolts are concealed
when the padlock is closed.
- Door construction: Doors can be kicked in. Replace
hollow core doors with solid core doors or strengthen the existing ones with
metal sheets. Replace weak door frames or reinforce them with steel or
concrete. Protect glass in the door with steel bars or mesh or place a
polycarbonate sheet over the glass on the inside.
WINDOWS
- Close your curtains or blinds. Particularly when you
are not home. Rotate opening and closing some blinds/curtains when you are
home and not at home. Intruders look for routine. Always leaving
curtains/blinds open is an invitation to view the inside of your home. If
you are going to be away, get neighbours to open and close your blinds every
day if possible.
- Pins or locks for your windows are always a good
idea. Many break-ins occur through open windows or weak windows. See your
hardware specialist for a variety of options.
- Metal bars or grates on basement windows are a good
idea. Intruders like to gain access through basement windows, as they are
usually hidden by shrubbery or obscure and not visible from the street.
Crime Prevention Tips for Businesses
OUTSIDE
- To a burglar, visibility means vulnerability. They
hide behind fences and shrubbery.
- Use picket or chain link fences
- Keep hedges clipped down and around waist level
INDOORS
- Burglars try the doors and windows first. If a
burglar has difficulty here, chances are they will move on to another
property
- Dogs are a great deterrent.
DOORS
- Locks: The strongest are deadbolt locks with a
minimum 1” throw bolt containing a hardened, saw-resistant steel insert.
Attach the strike plate to the doorframe with 4” screws. The double cylinder
deadbolt lock requires a key from both sides, preventing a burglar from
breaking glass in the door and turning the knob from the inside. Make sure
the cylinder of the lock has a steel guard – a ring around the key section.
The cylinder guard should be tapered, or it should rotate around the key
section to prevent wrenching. Remember; a double cylinder dead-bolt can also
block your exit in an emergency.
- Hinges: Doors that swing out have hinges on the
outside. A burglar can easily remove the hinge pins and lift the door out.
To foil this, remove the centre screw from each side of the hinge and insert
a metal pin or headless screw on one side. When the door is closed, the end
of the pin will fit into the opposite hole. Thus, even if the pins are
removed, the door will remain bolted to the frame.
- Padlocks: Overhead doors, receiving doors, garage
doors – all are typically secured with padlocks and hasps. Look for sturdy
padlocks that don’t release the key until the padlock is closed. The padlock
should be case-hardened with a 3/8: shackle to resist repeated smashing.
Remember, a padlock is only as good as the hasps on which it is mounted; so
bolt hasps securely to a metal plate, and make sure the bolts are concealed
when the padlock is closed.
- Door construction: Burglars can kick in a weak door.
Replace hollow core doors with solid core doors or strengthen the existing
ones with metal sheets. Replace weak doorframes or reinforce them with steel
or concrete. Protect glass in the door with steel bars or mesh or place a
polycarbonate sheet over the glass on the inside.
WINDOWS
- Protect windows by putting grates, grill work or bars
over them; or cover the glass on the inside with a clear polycarbonate
sheet. The sheet should extend 1-1/2” beyond the perimeter of the glass and
be bolted to the door. Space the bolts approximately every 3 inches.
Unbreakable safety glass is also available, but it is more expensive.
OTHER ENTRANCES
- Skylights, ventilation ducts, etc. tempt burglars
because these openings usually are not visible from the street. Protect
skylights and ducts with metal grates and iron bars. Keys to locked windows
or doors should be kept nearby.
- Key control
- label keys with a code indicating back door,
receiving door, display case, etc.
- engrave “do not duplicate” on all keys
- restrict key-access to your most trusted employees;
maintain a log to record removal and return.
- Consider having locks re-keyed when an employee
leaves your business.
GUARDS
- Join neighbouring businesses to hire a uniformed
guard from a reputable security company. Check references.
- Join the Chamber of Commerce or BIA for support and
bulk discounts for alarms, alarm companies, insurance, etc.
LIGHTING
- Light is a great deterrent. Light up all dark areas,
especially doors and windows. If your business is in a poorly lit area, join
with other merchants to petition local government or landlords for more
lights or pool funds and underwrite the cost yourselves.
ALARMS
- Before you invest in an alarm system, weigh the cost
against your need. How valuable is your merchandise? How great is your risk?
After installing an alarm, let burglars know by putting warning signs in
windows and entrances.
- Every alarm system should include a fail-safe battery
backup
- Fire-sensing capabilities
- A feedback device to check the system.
- A security consultant can give you an expert
appraisal of your security needs.
GRAFFITI
- Remove graffiti immediately from your premises.
Leaving graffiti on is an invitation for recurrence. People who write
graffiti like to admire their work. Don’t give them that chance.
OPERATION IDENTIFICATION
- Keep a complete, up-to-date inventory of your
merchandise and property; office machinery, personal belongings, etc. Put a
copy in your safe deposit box or at a location away from the business site.
Your best protection against an intruder is visibility. Well-lit open
spaces, low counters, and large, uncluttered display windows – these
precautions keep the burglar in the spotlight.
- Put your safe and cash register up front so that the
burglar’s activity will be visible from the outside. Empty your cash drawers
and leave them open so a burglar won’t be tempted to break them open. Anchor
safes in concrete, and make sure they have combination locks. Put locks on
all interior doors and hook them into your alarm system.
Facts:
- Our governments spend $10 billion per year on Police,
Courts and Correctional Services in an effort to reduce crime.
- But the real cost is more like $59 billion per year
when we consider the personal and physical costs associated with the pain
and suffering of victims or lost productivity .
- Currently, in Flamborough, crime is at a level that
is making people feel frustrated. Police presence is very low in
Flamborough, therefore the police services could get more help from our
community to help fight crime.
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