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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-03-11, Page 10i• Page neo - coa«Kn siena.star, Wednesday, March 11, 2009 Probus Club welcomes OPP to talk about home invasion Donny Soott signal -star staff Maybe Gladys Kravitz, the prying neighbour of Bewitched's Darrin and Sa- mantha Stephens was on to something. Constable Joanna Van Meirlo spoke to the Goderich Probus Club about home safety and home invasions, on Tuesday, March 3, and one of the most important lessons of the session was privacy, • and how sacrificing a little privacy can provide a great deal of safety. Van Meirlo provided statistics and an- swered questions about the facts on home invasion, and provided several examples of measures that can be taken by the as- sembled group. "Watching your neighbours isn't being rude," she said. "If you see something sus- picious, call the police. If it turns out it is a friend helping a neighbour by watching the house while they are on vacation, that's fine, it's better to call than to not." "[Members of the Probus group] are of an older generation, and you can't help but be polite. If someone comes to your door that you don't know, don't let them in," she explained. "It may make you feel rude, but its safe." Landscaping was a key point of Van Meirlo's presentation. She explained that any structures or foliage that blocks the view of your house from the road, or your neighbours view, is more detrimental than helpful. Obstructed views provide the per- fect cover for breaking into residences. Van Meirlo also explained how path- ways marked with decoration, or foliage, is an easy way .to establish a suggested walking pattern. Anyone outside that pat - tem can be seen as intrusive. • seg car 1o: #1 selling vehicle car or truck* Over 3 million built in Ontario by Canadians Civic Civic EX -L Sedan mode{ FA150904X LEASE $.7 FROM /APR f PER MONTH FOR 48 MONTHS WITH tic $2,665 DOWN ON APPROVED CREDIT 516,990 MSRP* FOR CIVIC DX SEDAN • sy mak t).G �8 1 Ontario Honda Dors THE SMARTER WAY TO®tn. www.HondsOntarlo.com HONDA OTtIc1At PAMTM[o FM! ipma Vag II16/1 F 1:1 tiu ih !Ilse Oh! HIM Eft LINO HEW 41 jib% �ELaR�� 111111 lanit Jflth Locks and peepholes were also dis- cussed. While Van Meirlo is certainly a proponent of both, she did suggest that deadbolts be used where applicable. She also explained how having a sturdy door with a strong lock is great, but having a small window right beside the door defeats the purpose of that lock, even if it does en- able the occupant to see who is outside. Another situation to avoid, according to Van Meirlo, is making your home appetiz- ing to intruders. This can include anything from leaving electronics in plain view of a ground level window, to holding a garage or yard sale, house tour, or house viewing, which can provide a chance for would-be burglars to case your home. Another aspect of alerting home invad- ers to valuables inside your house is recy- cling and garbage. Van Meirlo explained that a cardboard box from a new television is basically an invitation for burglars to come and take that television. To stop this, she suggested that boxes be split, flipped inside out (to hide the previous contents of the box), and tied together. Males aged 16-24, according to Van Meirlo, are the most likely to be involved- in nvolvein home invasions. Reasons include every- thing from boredom to needing money to finance an alcohol or drug addiction. Other general tips that Van Meirlo pro- vided were about preparing your home against invasion, should it be picked as a target. She explained that there are several options to provide protection against bur- glary, including rubber stoppers to prevent patio doors from simply being lifted out of their tracks, or glass coatings that prevent shattered windows from falling inwards. The most emphasized point Van Meirlo made was that the police can't help if you don't alert them. Throughout the presenta- tion she pointed out her pet peeves, situ- ations in which people should do things differently, but paramount among these was that people would wait minutes, even hours, to call the police, at which point, they can't do anything but try to follow cold trails. Photo by Denny Scott OPP Constable Joanne Van Meirlo spoke to the Goderich Probus Club on Tuesday, March 3 about the dangers of home inva- sion, how to prevent being targeted, and how to protect your home.