July 7, 2007
What can we do?
BE ALERT
Notice oddities. Take down information. Be the extra eyes and ears for your neighbours. Jot down the information. You are not inconveniencing the OPP to make the call. Information from calls is filed. Police may not show up right away, but they will follow up for sure.
Property crimes. 30 per cent of calls are property-related crimes. Without evidence, police are at a loss to solve the break-in. So get the information you need. Either call right away or keep the information for later reference. One OPP officer has the job of investigating nothing but break-ins.
IDENTIFY YOUR PROPERTY
Identifying your property benefits both the OPP and the cottager. If something is stolen, it’s important to be able to identify the property so that if it’s recovered, you can identify it.
“That’s my chainsaw because…”
Identifiers make your property unique. If there are 3 or 4 put in front of you, you can identify yours from a group that is similar.
By law, the OPP cannot take stolen property unless it’s clearly identified as belonging to someone else and is stolen property.
The OPP has an engraver they are most willing to lend out to area residents who wish to identify their belongings.
The photo shows many of the attendees at the July 7 meeting. OPP officer, Steve Kramer, is in the centre. Do an inventory. Take a day and do an inventory of your possessions for safety’s sake. The OPP have engravers that you can borrow to engrave your own identifiers on all your items. That’s a good idea.
Types of property stolen includes small appliances, kitchen appliances, tools, electric motors, power tools, outboard motors, marine equipment, liquor, stereo, computers, and other similar items.
Wrenches? Everybody has Mastercraft wrenches so make yours unique. Some cottages have been cleaned right out – happens rarely but it does happen.
Items may be pawned off locally -- Orillia, Barrie, for example. The local OPP will call pawn shops to check inventory.
OTHER IDEAS
FOCA have a website and offer cottage-watch signage. We can erect signs in this area. Some associations have opted to put up signs for cottage watch. The choice up to us. Signs may acts as a deterrent. Erect them high enough so that people cannot tear them down.
We would have to check on what clearance would be necessary for erecting signs in this area.
Are signs a deterrent? Making eye contact with a stranger may be sufficient. Sometimes, nothing is a deterrent.
What phone numbers should we use to notify the police?
-- 1 888 310-1122 (anywhere in Ontario to nearest OPP detachment)
-- Cell phones: *OPP or *677 (nearest OPP detachment)
-- In Parry Sound 746 – 4225
(This last number forwards to North Bay dispatch center. Depending on the urgency of the call, it may be transferred back here.)
Thanks to Officer Steve Kramer for his time and his valuable insights.
