The holiday season may be one of cheer and goodwill, but it can also be a prime time for crime.
Pictou County RCMP Cpl. Ron Bryce said police traditionally see a rise in thefts this time of year, particularly from vehicles and unoccupied camps.
That's why Bryce, along with Const. Dave Gagnon, were busy this week passing out flyers at the Pictou County Wellness Centre to remind people of some precautions they can take to stop thieves.
The No. 1 preventative measure that people can do is to look their veheicle doors, Bryce said.
"Theives are generally lazy and opportunists," he said. "They'll look for an unlocked vehicle and especially an unlocked vehicle with the keys in it."
Even with a locked vehicle, he said it's important to keep valuables out of sight.
"Try to be aware of what thieves look for, which is often cellphones, electronic devices such as GPS or laptops," he said.
Loose change in the open can also attract unwanted attention from thieves as well, he said.
Bryce said people should also be careful to keep valuables out of their camps.
"Again, this time of year we find an increase in rural property break and enters to unoccupied camps," he said. "We're just asking people to make sure your camp is locked securely and keep valuables such as firemarms especially out of house."
He said people might want to consider putting alarms on their camp or installing a trail cam to provide surveillance. He also encourages people to look out for each other.
"If you're in the area and know there's some unoccupied camps, you might want to take a spin around and do some neighbourhood patrols as well."
