Safer Communities: An Ounce of Prevention
Ward 12 is well represented by several very strong Community Associations. Community Associations bring together a fabulous group of internal and external stakeholders with important information for the community. I have always found the Calgary Police Service report on crime in the community very fascinating.
Here is a breakdown of some of the information recently presented for a number of Community Association meetings:
Crime Statistics for: Cranston
| Offence | July 2015 |
| Break and Enter – House | 3 |
| Break and Enter – Shop | 0 |
| Break and Enter – Other | 0 |
| Theft of Vehicle | 2 |
| Theft from Vehicle | 12 |
| Vandalism | 3 |
|
1 of 3 break-ins had unlocked doors and used garage door opener.
Car Prowling – 9 out of 12 reports had unlocked doors.
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| Offence | August 2015 |
| Break and Enter – House | 7 |
| Break and Enter – Shop | 0 |
| Break and Enter – Other | 0 |
| Theft of Vehicle | 2 |
| Theft from Vehicle | 8 |
| Vandalism | 4 |
|
3 of 7 break-ins had unlocked doors.
Car Prowling – 5 out of 8 reports had unlocked doors.
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Crime Statistics for: Auburn Bay
| Offence | July 2015 |
| Break and Enter – House | 3 |
| Break and Enter – Shop | 0 |
| Break and Enter – Other | 1 |
| Theft of Vehicle | 1 |
| Theft from Vehicle | 3 |
| Vandalism | 4 |
|
3 of 3 break-ins had unlocked doors.
Car Prowling – 1 out of 3 had unlocked doors.
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|
| Offence | August 2015 |
| Break and Enter – House | 2 |
| Break and Enter – Shop | 0 |
| Break and Enter – Other | 1 |
| Theft of Vehicle | 0 |
| Theft from Vehicle | 9 |
| Vandalism | 2 |
|
1 of 3 break-ins as a result of unlocked door.
Car Prowling –3 out of 9 had unlocked doors, 5 were unknown methods of entry.
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Crime Statistics for: Mahogany
| Offence | July 2015 |
| Break and Enter – House | 1 |
| Break and Enter – Shop | 0 |
| Break and Enter – Other | 0 |
| Theft of Vehicle | 2 |
| Theft from Vehicle | 9 |
| Vandalism | 0 |
|
Break-in as result of unlocked door.
Car Prowling – all unknown method of entry with no damage. Believed to be unlocked doors.
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| Offence | August 2015 |
| Break and Enter – House | 1 |
| Break and Enter – Shop | 0 |
| Break and Enter – Other | 1 |
| Theft of Vehicle | 2 |
| Theft from Vehicle | 5 |
| Vandalism | 0 |
|
Break-in as result of unlocked door.
Car Prowling –3 out of 5 had unlocked doors.
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Crime Statistics for: Copperfield
| Offence | July 2015 |
| Break and Enter – House | 1 |
| Break and Enter – Shop | 2 |
| Break and Enter – Other | 0 |
| Theft of Vehicle | 0 |
| Theft from Vehicle | 3 |
| Vandalism | 3 |
|
Car Prowling – 1 out of 3 had an open window
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| Offence | August 2015 |
| Break and Enter – House | 3 |
| Break and Enter – Shop | 4 |
| Break and Enter – Other | 3 |
| Theft of Vehicle | 1 |
| Theft from Vehicle | 6 |
| Vandalism | 3 |
|
3 of 3 break-ins had unlocked doors.
Car Prowling –5 out of 6 had unknown method of entry with no damage. Believed to be unlocked doors.
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Crime Statistics for: New Brighton
| Offence | July 2015 |
| Break and Enter – House | 5 |
| Break and Enter – Shop | 1 |
| Break and Enter – Other | 0 |
| Theft of Vehicle | 1 |
| Theft from Vehicle | 8 |
| Vandalism | 1 |
|
3 out of 5 break-ins had unlocked doors.
Car Prowling – 6 out of 8 had unlocked doors.
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| Offence | August 2015 |
| Break and Enter – House | 1 |
| Break and Enter – Shop | 1 |
| Break and Enter – Other | 1 |
| Theft of Vehicle | 1 |
| Theft from Vehicle | 3 |
| Vandalism | 2 |
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Break-in as result of unlocked door.
Car Prowling –2 out of 3 had unlocked doors.
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I have a couple of key takeaways from the data above. First, I am very grateful that so many communities in Ward 12 have relatively low rates of crime in comparison to other communities in Calgary. Second, I am astonished at how many crime incidents are preventable.
A dramatic percentage of home and vehicle break-ins are entirely preventable. Many of these incidents occur when a car or a home have been left unlocked. Our colleagues at the Calgary Police Service routinely offer these tips to Calgarians:
- Lock everything, including the man door between an attached garage and house
- Remove all items which may attract criminals from your car. Items to consider are phones, sunglasses, cash, garage door openers, etc.
- Car prowling often lead to break-ins. If you notice suspicious activities in your community, be sure to contact the police.
You can read more pointers from the Calgary Police Service here.
I recently had a conversation with a police officer about the amount of time spent on responding to incidents that were largely avoidable. The officer mentioned that a break-in can require a minimal time commitment of 3 hours for a responding officer. This time includes attending the scene, generating a report and any follow up required.
As students return to school the need for a greater police presence on our residential streets is increasingly apparent. If Calgarians follow some of the tips above, we can allow our officers to focus on other tasks that make a tremendous difference in our communities. The preventative measures with community crime are quite simple; we can all be a part of the solution!
