PG Experiencing a Spike in B & E’s
Prince George, B.C. – Thieves have been busy in Prince George and its surrounding areas the past few weeks.
RCMP Corporal Craig Douglass says they have noticed a spike in residential and commercial break and enters over that time period – 54 since June 1st.
“Although this number is down from 74 during the same period last year, it is still high and causing concerns for police,” he says.
“Residential break-ins are occurring primarily during the day when residents are not home, while commercial break-ins are primarily at night while business owners are at home asleep.”
Douglass says most of the crime is occurring “in the core of the city,” but says College Heights and the Hart area have also been hit.
Other areas affected include Beaverly, Hixon, Giscome, Willow River and Salmon Valley.
“Thieves have been cutting through chain link fences and have also been targeting ‘C-Can’ storage containers,” he says. “They have been kicking in doors and taking advantage of garages left open, leading us to remind the public to take extra precautions to protect your property.”
Douglass continues: “It is very likely that many of these offences are being committed by a few groups of persons. These persons would likely be in possession of and trying to sell stolen property including computers, tablets, televisions, and bicycles. A vehicle is likely being used to transport the stolen property.”
He says some recent examples include:
- A 2013 Suzuki DR-Z 125cc dirt bike was stolen from a garage in Willow River sometime between June 16 and June 17
- On June 19 at around 3:00 p.m., a male suspect wearing a red bicycle helmet and pants with a red stripe, broke into a home on the 2200 block of Oak Street and took a Samsung tablet, Sony camera, Kenneth Cole watch, Roots backpack and a red Lifesaver battery pack.
- On June 20 between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. an unknown person or persons stole 30 red seat cushions and an outdoor couch from an enclosed restaurant patio near the corner of Highway 16 and Ferry Avenue.
With these cases in mind, Douglass recommends citizens take the following preventative steps:
- Record serial numbers or engrave your driver’s license on valuables
- Take pictures of property and store the files on a disk
- Report suspicious activity at all hours of the day
- Get to know your neighbours and keep an eye on their property
- Use security systems, cameras and other deterrents
- Keep your doors locked, even if you are in the back yard
- Close and lock your windows each time you leave your home, even in hot weather
Anyone with any information about any of these crimes are asked to call police at 250-561-3300 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Comments
Craig, you forgot to mention the guys on bikes cruising the neighborhood, looking for absentee residents.
Yes Griz I see them as well, usually on garbage day as they are looking for the houses that don’t have their garbage bins at the curb, this means the home occupants are “usually” out of town.
So if you are leaving on a trip, get your neighbour to put your garbage bin to the curb on garbage collection day in your neighbourhood, even if the bin is empty.
And no wonder the USA residents refuse to give up their right to own firearms.
Come to my house. I have a special surprise for any scumbag that does. :-)
If Canadians had the right to protect their property in this country you can bet the rates would not be this high.
Explain that comment. What would you use to protect your property that is not legal now? Land mortars? Snipers on the roof?
B&E means nobody was home. What good is a gun with nobody home, other than being available for the thief to steal?
What you are talking about is called Home Invasion, and those are rare.
Seriously Brother Gecko? If you caught someone breaking into your house just try taking a baseball bat to that person and see what happens. You would be charged, sued and have to spend thousands defending yourself. Last time I checked even a 5 year old could legally buy a baseball bat.
As for the difference between a B&E and a home invasion it is only by sheer luck that nobody is home, crooks are gambling that nobody is there, just because a garbage can is not put out or newspapers are piling up does not guarantee the house is empty.
Good locks and floodlights can be a good deterrent.
I’m rural and most people out here have invested in surveillance cameras. Have noticed a rise in random vehicles scoping out properties for sure, the nice thing about social media is the pictures are posted almost immediately so everyone knows who to watch for and generally the people don’t come back. And the cops have an easier time finding them with descriptions of the people and vehicle, sometimes even a plate number.
Check out who has been let out of jail in the last little while.
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