There were fewer assaults and home break-ins but more thefts and business break-ins in White Rock in the last month of 2011, producing a modest four per cent increase in the overall crime rate, according to year-to-year comparison figures released by the RCMP.
The December 2011 crime stats show there were 118 reported incidents compared to 113 for December of 2010.
The biggest percentage increase was in drug offences (a 70 per cent rise from 10 to 17), while the biggest drop was in assault cases (a 54 per cent decrease from 17 to 11).
All categories of theft were up 21 per cent, with the number of theft reports – including from vehicles and of vehicles – increasing to 34 from 28.
In one December incident, police said a vehicle was broken into while parked on a roadway, and a garage door opener – along with registration papers – were taken. The thief then took the door opener to the address on the registration and used it to open the garage and steal a second vehicle parked inside.
Instead of carrying original registration papers inside your vehicle, RCMP suggest a two-step process; first, make a photocopy and black out the address, then photocopy the copy to make sure the address can’t be read.
Drivers will need their original registration when travelling out of province, but police say you should carry these on your person rather than in your vehicle.
Don’t forget to take your garage door opener with you, as well.
To reduce residential break-and-enters, remember to keep doors and windows locked even when you are at home and consider having a door reinforcer installed to prevent kick-ins.
To help business owners prevent break-and-enters, the White Rock RCMP Community Policing Business Security Team offers security audits.
To book a review, call 778-593-3611.