Williams Lake, B.C. – The Williams Lake RCMP has issued a public challenge to get residents to assist them in their crime reduction efforts.

Over the past year, police there have seen a decrease of 25% in the crime severity index and a further 49% decrease in the violent crime severity index.

In addition, they say there’s been an 8% decline in calls for service over the last three months.

“During the past year, we have seen some dramatic improvements in our overall crime picture here in Williams Lake,” says Detachment Commander and Inspector Milo MacDonald.

“This is a result of some great partnerships in the community with other agencies who share the vision of Williams Lake as the great place that it really is.”

Despite the success, he says it will take the help of the community to build on the momentum and see crime drop even further.

In order to achieve that goal, MacDonald has released the following 10 tips:

– Report nuisance behaviour within your neighbourhood
– Get to know your neighbours and keep an eye on their home while away this holiday season
– Do not share your vacation plans on social media, like Facebook or Instagram
– Park in well-lit areas and never leave your vehicle insecure and running
– Avoid using your vehicle as a storage locker, lock your packages and gifts in your vehicle’s trunk instead of in plain site
– Everyone is in a generous mood during the holidays, so be aware of scams and fake charity solicitations in email and on social media sites
– Be diligent and check out the charities at www.give.org before donating
– When shopping online, make sure that you use only legitimate websites, watch out for URLs that use the names of well-known brands along with extra words
– Collect your mail promptly after delivery. Unattended mail is treasure for thieves
– Consider volunteering for one of the many organizations that are actively making a difference in your community