By Sandra Milton
We want to help you stay safe, and feel safe. Knowing what to do in a situation where you see something suspicious is important. Some neighbours are confused about what they should report and why. Suspicious activity can refer to any incident, event, individual or activity that seems unusual or out of place. Some common examples of suspicious activities include:
- A vehicle cruising the streets repeatedly.
- Someone peering into cars or through windows.
- A high volume of traffic going to and coming from a home on a daily basis.
- Someone loitering around schools, parks or secluded areas.
- Open or broken doors or windows.
- Multiple persons who appear to be working in unison and exhibiting suspicious behaviours.
The effectiveness of police efforts is enhanced by active participation on the part of neighbours. By calling to report suspicious persons or activity, you not only aid the police, you make your community a safer place to live. Some people fail to call because they are not aware of activities that might be suspicious. Others may notice suspicious activity and hesitate to call for fear of being labeled a “nosy neighbour.” Still others take it for granted that someone else has already called. Always report suspicious activity and crimes because this helps police establish trends and patterns and assists them in allocating resources.
By reporting these types of activities and situations, citizens can make their communities safer and more secure, reduce violence, minimize victimization, reduce crime and improve the overall quality of life.
Call 9-1-1 for any crime in progress or life-threatening emergency and 613-236-1222, extension 7502 (short cut) for non-emergency situations requiring a mobile police response. For after-the-fact reporting, visit https://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/contact-us/Online-Reporting.aspx for more information, or call 613-236-1222 extension 7300 if you don’t have internet access (hours for reporting at ext 7300 are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.).
REMEMBER:
Community members only serve as the extra “eyes and ears” of law enforcement. They should report their observations of suspicious activities to the police; citizens should never try to take action on those observations. Trained law enforcement should be the only ones ever to take action based on observations of suspicious activities.
Porch light safety
Porch lights help keep you and your loved ones safe. You don’t fumble for your keys when the light is on—instead, you’re inside the door within moments.
The light also deters burglars, who tend to avoid a home that looks occupied. Instead of leaving the light on all night, install a motion detector that will come on when there’s movement within the vicinity of your home. Periodically check the range of the detector and how long it comes on for. Check if the bulb is bright enough. If you are in a particularly dark neighbourhood, leaving lights on or using smart lights to come on at various times is a great deterrent as the evenings get darker and longer.