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Twenty-eight Surrey garages broken into during December

Unseasonable activity a reminder not to leave your garage door opener visible in your vehicle
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Don’t leave your garage door opener visible in your vehicle. (Wikimedia)

According to Surrey RCMP, there was an unusual uptick in garage break-ins during December.

Twenty-eight Surrey garages were broken into, and nine of those incidents occurred in Cloverdale.

According to Surrey RCMP, garage break-ins usually spike during the summer months, as residents are more likely to leave their garage doors open and unsecured in hot weather.

An uptick in the winter months could point to another cause: unsecured garage door openers left in vehicles.

A garage door opener left visible in a vehicle is a target for potential thieves, as it means they can break into the vehicle and open the garage door. They can also gain access to the home if the door leading into the residence is left unsecured.

“We recommend that people keep their garage door openers out of sight,” said Surrey RCMP Corporal Scotty Schumann. “If possible, it would be great to bring them inside with you.”

Schumann also noted that there is a manual lock on garage doors that can be used to prevent break-ins.

Surrey RCMP provide additional home security tips regarding garages on their website, including:

  • Ensure your garage door closely tightly
  • Select garage door openers that use a “rolling code system” in order to prevent code grabbing
  • Install a deadbolt on the door leading from the garage into your home

For more, visit surrey.rcmp-grc.ca.



editor@cloverdalereporter.com

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