Crime on upswing

NEW?GLASGOW - 'Tis the season for thieves.
New Glasgow Police are warning people that crime has been on the upswing for the past few weeks, and it will likely only get worse until after the holidays are over, says Const. Ken MacDonald
"There's an increase in this type of criminal activity, usually from the end of November and into December. The next couple of weeks, we'll see it peak," MacDonald said.
In the last nine months alone, there have been 40 thefts from vehicles in the town - including four last week at John Brother MacDonald stadium.
"In the majority of those cases, the cars were left unlocked." MacDonald explained, adding that the majority of these cases are crimes of opportunity.
"People who do this type of crime figure, 'why break in when the vehicle is left unlocked?' When valuables are in clear sight, it makes you an increased risk of being a victim. Locking vehicles is a huge deterrent and decreases your likelihood of being a victim. Suspects involved in this type of crime tend to not want to attract attention from breaking into cars."
One of the big risks with vehicle theft is the chance that the thieves will gain access to personal information, which could put the victim at risk of identity theft. That's why police recommend not leaving any information in the vehicle except paperwork relating to the vehicle.
"In a few of these cases, the thieves have gotten their hands on personal information - people shouldn't be leaving things like briefcases in their cars overnight," MacDonald said.
There's no one area where this type of crime is happening, either.
"That's one thing that surprised me - I thought I'd see more in parking lots," MacDonald said. "But looking at the occurrences, they're all over the place, in mall lots, residences."
But thefts from vehicles aren't the only thing thieves are targeting this holiday season.
The instances of break and enters to businesses also seem to be rising, with thieves mainly looking for cash or cheques.
MacDonald says homes are also at risk this time of year.
For people travelling over the Christmas break, the police constable advises county residents to find ways to make their homes looked "lived in" while they're away. MacDonald suggests putting lights on timers, closing curtains and having someone pick up your newspaper or mail and check your home every few days.
Instances of scams are also on the rise, he noted.
"This is a giving time, a busy time of year, and people are trying to take advantage of that," MacDonald said.
Scammers will often change their pitch to suit the person they're talking to, whether it's a phone call or collecting door to door.
To help protect yourself, MacDonald says people should never give out personal info over the phone and before donating to any organization, he advises calling the group's head office to confirm they're collecting right now.