Community Safety evening with Councillor Keyes, Pastor Mavis, and YRP Officer Hinds
On May 27th Ward 5 Councillor Andrew Keyes held a Community Safety Meeting at the Rhenish Church of Canada. Constable Brian Hinds of York Regional Police joined Councillor Keyes for a discussion about how residents can better protect themselves and their property. 40 residents from both Cornell and Greensborough attended.
The event included a slide presentation from Constable Hinds, followed by a question and answer session. Representatives from Home Depot were also present to help answer questions related to home security and video surveillance options.
A very special “thank you” goes out to Pastor Mavis and the Rhenish Church of Canada for hosting this community event.
Home Safety Presentation Highlights
While it is unlikely residents can completely protect themselves from home break ins and property damage, there are some “best practices” that can be adopted to help improve your home and personal safety.
Communicate with your neighbours – Get to know your neighbours and inform them if you plan to be away from home for a while.
Neighbourhood Watch groups are also very effective in bringing residents together and sharing information. Captains of the groups liaise with York Region Police directly. Though social media does offer great opportunities for posting incidents seen and or experienced, we do not really know who is on the site. Many residents voiced this concern to us at the meeting. Perhaps criminals are on the sites as well. Read more.
Report any suspicious activity to the police – If something looks wrong, it doesn’t hurt to err on the side of caution and let the police know if you see something suspicious.
Natural surveillance techniques – Burglars do not want to be seen, so consider landscaping choices that do not provide too much cover around your home entrances and windows. Keep trees and bushes trimmed.
Motion activated lighting – Although many break-ins occur during the day (when most people are not home), having motion activated lights creates a deterrent and alerts people that something is happening – it gets attention.
Video Surveillance Cameras – Cameras will deter many thieves but that is not the only reason for having them. After a crime is committed video footage often provides valuable evidence that can be used to capture and convict the criminals.
“Harden” your home entrances – Criminals want to get into and out of your home as quickly as possible. Anything you can do to slow them down will deter them and possibly stop them from entering. Reinforced door frames and security window films are relatively inexpensive and effective solutions.
You can read about other community safety issues in the Ward5Markham.ca “Frequently Asked Questions” section under “Safety”.
