Apr 12
25
Lock it or Lose it
Central Saanich Police Service is reminding our E-Alert community to lock your cars and remove any valuables.
Late Monday afternoon a local resident parked her car in a shopping area in the Saanichton Village. The woman had left her vehicle for a short time, however, when she returned she determined that her car had been entered and her backpack was missing. Unfortunately, there was also a black MEC raincoat, two cellular telephones and some personal items inside the backpack.
The stolen property is still outstanding.
Central Saanich Police Service is offering some tips on preventing theft from auto:
- Remove all valuables from your car,
- Lock your car,
- Take your garage door opener with you or secure it out of sight. Some criminals will take your garage door opener and documents ( i.e. insurance papers) with your address on it in efforts to gain access to your home later,
- Park in well lit areas with a lot of pedestrian traffic,
- Report all suspicious activity to police.
If you have any questions regarding Crime Prevention in your community please call us at 250.652.4441.
Posted in Crime Prevention Stories Media Release by .
Spring has sprung and many of us are thinking about planting flowers, fertilizing the lawn or just spending long awaited time outside in the yard. Unfortunately, this weather often makes crooks think of new opportunities to get into your home and steal your valuables. When the weather becomes warmer the Green Thumb Burglar comes out of hibernation!
How does the Green Thumb Burglar operate? When the weather is warmer, residents tend to leave windows and doors open for variety of reasons. This is often when we are working in the garden or just outside enjoying some long awaited sunshine. The Green Thumb Burglar is not breaking down your door or forcing your windows. This crook simply enters your home through unlocked doors or windows while you are outside. The Green Thumb Burglar is an opportunist and will watch for people tending to their garden and he will quietly slip into their home and quickly make off with wallets, jewelry or other valuables
Please enjoy the sunshine but don’t give any “window” of opportunity to this burglar.
Report all suspicious activity to police.
Posted in Crime Prevention Stories by .
Apr 12
16
Police Seek Public Assistance
Central Saanich Police Service is investigating a targeted home invasion that occurred earlier this week at a residence in Central Saanich.
Police received a 911 call from a home in the 6800 Block of East Saanich Road shortly before 10pm on April 10, 2012. The caller reported a home invasion had just occurred and the suspects had fled in a pickup truck. Police units arrived at the residence shortly after and located four victims unharmed in the home. Police believe this incident was a targeted crime linked to illegal activity.
It appears that in the course of the incident three males entered the house brandishing weapons and threatened the occupants. One occupant of the house was struck but not hurt. The suspects stole undisclosed items prior to leaving the residence.
Posted in Media Release by .
Central Saanich Police Service is warning our E-Alert Community of an evolving credit card scam. The scam starts when someone calls your house claiming to be “Security” or a “Fraud investigator” with a major credit card company. These scammers will already have your name, address and credit card information when they make the call and they can be very convincing. This con artist will then tell you that fraudulent charges have been made on your card and that you are required to provide them your three digit Card Security Code ( CVV2) on the back of your credit card to verify you are the card owner. The “Security Investigator” will tell you he needs this information to reverse the charges. DO NOT GIVE THEM THIS CODE!
If you do give them your CODE, these scam artists will fraudulently purchase numerous goods with your credit card.
Please, if you receive this call, do not provide any information about your credit card or any personal information. Contact your bank and your credit card company and advise them that you received this phone call.
Note – MasterCard and Visa have a three digit security code on the back of the card. American Express
Posted in Crime Prevention Stories Media Release by .
EB, one of our new volunteers at the Brentwood Bay Community Office, has researched the importance of protecting the ” secret” code we all have on our credit cards. She has noted several important steps in protecting yourself from Credit Card Fraud and sourced her research and provided additional websites to learn more. If you are near the Community Office on Sundays from 1-4pm you will usually find EB available for more information and tips on preventing crime. Please drop by sometime and visit with her.
The Three Digits Criminals Want!
Its technical name is the Card Verification Value 2 (CVV2), or Card Security Code. You will find it on all MasterCard and Visa cards beside the signature panel on the back of the card, or if you possess an American Express credit card, your four-digit number is on the front of the card.
The following will assist in protecting your three digit number from fraud.
- What is the use of this three digit number?
- Why does it need to be protected?
- How can you avoid being a victim of fraud?
Posted in Crime Prevention Stories Volunteer Perspective by .
Farid is one of our Brentwood Community Office volunteers and he knows a few things about today’s tech devices. The following is some of his research into ways to increase children’s safety while they are using mobile devices. Farid can usually be found at the Community Police Office on Saturdays from 10-1pm – feel free to stop by and chat.
Children, Teens and Mobile Use
Today, in our techno society, we are constantly bombarded with advertisements and can be easily influenced by them when it comes to new improved technology, gadgets or software applications (Apps). This has changed the way we communicate with each other. Having said that, technology can also be a double edge sword and it can work against us if we do not pay attention to how we are utilizing the technologies, gadgets and Apps. We could inadvertently be inviting the bad guys in to prey on us and giving them the opportunity to scam us.
So what can we do to ensure we are being smart about the information we are sharing? Here are some safety tips that you may want to follow and especially share these with your children:
Posted in Crime Prevention Stories Volunteer Perspective by .
Mar 12
2
Daylight Savings March 11, 2012
Ronnie, one of our Brentwood Bay Community Police Office Volunteers, has researched an upcoming topic: How Daylight Savings Time change can cause driver fatigue . Ronnie’s research has come from the ICBC website. For more information on this topic or other Traffic Safety issues please visit their website at www.icbc.com or click here Thank you for your submission Ronnie.
Plan ahead for Daylight Savings Time.
It is that time of the year again when we all “Spring ahead” into action and we lose an hour of sleep. It happens in the middle of a spring night once a year and can affect us for several days. It’s the return of Daylight Savings Time (DST), when the clock is moved one hour forward, which happens at 2:00 a.m. Sunday, March 11 for all British Colombians.
This ritual can cause disruptions in normal sleep patterns for children and adults. However, there are steps we can take to minimize the sleep loss and enjoy the benefits of healthy sleep and productive days. As we get ready to turn our clocks forward on March 11th, 2012, ICBC is reminding everyone to take extra care as the time change can affect us all in different ways.
Posted in Crime Prevention Stories Volunteer Perspective by .
Cpl. Pat Bryant, the Central Saanich Police Youth Resource Officer, is a veteran police officer with nearly 24 years of police experience. This is his first installment of his new ” Youth Resource Officer” blog.
Teen Depression is a serious matter in our Community, one that we must not over look. Understanding what Teen Depression is and what to look for is our first step in helping our Youth. Depression can lead our Teens to suicide or attempting suicide. Communication with our Teens is an important part of a successful and healthy relationship.
Teenage depression is an unbiased disease that affects about 20 per cent of all teens regardless of gender, social background, family income level, and race. Teenage depression is not limited to or affected by geographic locations or schools. It is known that girls tend to be affected more by depression than boys but it is also known that boys are less likely to seek help or even admit to depression. Girls are taught to be more open and discuss their problems where boys are still taught from an early age to deal with things themselves.
Feeling sad and depressed is a normal part of life’s ups and downs. However, these prolonged feelings of helplessness or hopelessness, and feeling sad most of the time is not a normal day to day reaction to the ebb and flow of life.
Teen depression may include, but not limited to, the following:
- Irrational anger and irritability that is often just put down as a child having a rebellious nature or wanting to prove themselves
- Unexplained aches and pains that fail to respond to treatments
- Extreme sensitivity to criticism, often considered as being too moody or cranky, and in the case of over achievers, this is especially prominent
- Withdrawal from friends and social gatherings or in some cases switching to social groups that are contrary to what they would normally choose
Posted in Crime Prevention Stories Youth Resource Officer by .
Feb 12
16
From the Sergeant’s Desk
Few people are aware of the close working relationship we have with the Sidney RCMP. They see us as being two distinct agencies. Yet, in the minds of those of us in the profession, there are no distinctive borders when it comes to providing security and protection, particularly for people who live on the Saanich Peninsula. Last week is one of many examples of how our two agencies continually work together and pool our resources to get things done.
Posted in Sergeant's Blog by .
Feb 12
14
Keeping Our Kids Safe Online
Every two weeks, one of our Brentwood Community Police volunteers will be providing a submission to the Volunteer Blog. Each story will be written to enhance our community’s knowledge on Crime Prevention Tips or safety related ideas. The first submission is from Coreen, who has provided some well researched guidelines to help parents and guardians navigate the world wide web with their children. Thank-you Coreen.
The web is a wonderful resource for children, however can also pose risks and hazards. The following tips and strategies will educate parents, teachers and anyone else who would like to better understand the good, the bad and the ugly about the web, and will provide the tools and resources needed to improve your child’s safety on the Internet.
Posted in Crime Prevention Stories Volunteer Perspective by .