Police in Yellowknife are to start issuing nightly reminders for residents to lock their vehicles and secure their properties.
In a news release on Thursday, RCMP said “multiple thefts and vehicle entries” in the city had prompted officers to urge that residents “adopt a 9pm routine as a crime prevention tool.”
The city’s RCMP detachment said it would post nightly 9pm notices on Twitter and Facebook to tell residents to check their vehicles and doors, a practice Yellowknife’s police said was already in use elsewhere.
A checklist issued by police involves:
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- removing valuables and accessories from vehicles;
- locking vehicles, boats and campers;
- removing the keys from ATVs and snowmobiles;
- securing garage and shed doors;
- closing and locking external doors to the home; and
- turning on an outside light.
“During the night and periods of extended darkness in the winter, even having an illuminated exterior light can act as a deterrent. Small steps to make your vehicles and property secure and well-lit can make them unattractive targets for thieves,” RCMP stated.
As in many NWT communities, some residents of Yellowknife – particularly those who’ve lived in the city for an extended period – are given to leaving their homes unlocked regardless of whether there’s anyone inside.
Police stressed that “most incidents” of theft reported in Yellowknife were from either vehicles or homes left unlocked.
“These incidents are crimes of opportunity,” RCMP said, and locking things up “will serve as a significant deterrent.”
