The Eagle sat down with Cochrane RCMP Sergeant Darleen White after a recent surge of break-ins in town, to discuss how to stay safe this Halloween season and all year round.
This Halloween:
– Make sure the lights are left on.
– Bring in pumpkins at night.
– Do not leave bags of leaves out.
“One big thing is for pumpkins to get smashed – it is really easy to take pumpkins in at the end of the night,” White explained. “And because this Halloween is a Saturday night, there will be more people out.”
White urges individuals to stay safe, be cautious, and if anyone sees anything suspicious to call the Cochrane RCMP at 403-932-2213. If it is an emergency, dial 9-1-1.
“Whether you are out at an adult party or out with the kids – play safe so everyone can get home,” White said.
During the weekend of Oct. 18-19, there were five reported home break-ins in town, with three reported in the Sunset area and two in the Bow Ridge area. As previously reported in the Eagle, homeowners were still in the house during one of the break-ins. There have also been a number of vehicle thefts lately in Cochrane.
RCMP are advising you to take precautions.
For houses:
– Lock and secure any accessible doors or windows.
– If windows must be open, only open as much as needed or you can put a screw through the screen to prevent easy entry access.
For vehicles:
– Remove all valuables and lock the vehicle.
– Ensure no items are visible inside the vehicle and remove garage-door openers.
“People are going into cars and using door openers, so make sure the main door between your house and garage is locked too,” White said.
But the biggest piece of advice the Sergeant can give – lock your vehicle doors.
“When the people are going around to cars, they are only going into the ones they find open – they are not smashing windows,” White said.
“Most people feel that we are in a small town but, unfortunately, we are so close to Calgary that it is so easy for these criminals to come out into the bedroom communities and go back to Calgary never to be seen again.”
To date, one person was caught in relation to the car thefts. All other reported thefts are under investigation.
