Tuesday, December 13, 2011

HRP launches Online Crime Prevention Video Series

Halifax Regional Police is trying new ways to educate the public on what they can do to prevent becoming victims of crime. Building on the momentum of the in-person Crime Prevention Series meetings held in the fall, HRP has launched an Online Crime Prevention Video Series which can be found on YouTube at www.youtube.com/hfxregpolice.




In the first video of the series, Community Response Officer George Farmer shares simple tips that will help homeowners and renters protect their homes from thieves. The series will cover other topics including theft from vehicles, internet safety and cyber bullying, seniors’ and personal safety, and fraud and identity theft.



HRP will also take to their Twitter and Facebook pages from December 13 - 23 to report every residential break and enter that takes place in HRP jurisdiction during the previous 24 hours. The intent is to educate the public on the frequency of this crime and the importance of taking easy steps to protect your home from thieves.



“Break and enters have been an on-going issue in HRM and we want to do everything we can to prevent them, especially during the holiday season,” explains Chief Frank Beazley. “Our hope with this initiative is to show citizens just how frequently this crime is occurring, offer tips on how they can decrease their chances of having their home broken into, and ultimately change behaviours.”



This isn’t the first time HRP has turned to social media to fight crime. A similar campaign, focused on theft from vehicles, was launched in August. “Though we didn’t see a dramatic reduction in the number of thefts from vehicles, we’ve received feedback from citizens telling us they have changed their behaviour because of the campaign,” says Chief Beazley. HRP is hopeful that the video series and B&E social media campaign will do the same.



Watch for updates on HRP’s Twitter and Facebook pages:



www.facebook.com/HalifaxRegionalPolice

www.twitter.com/HfxRegPolice

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