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

Public safety - everyone has a role to play!

November is National Crime Prevention and Community Safety Month and the HRM Public Safety Office is encouraging you to play a role in public safety.

Be the ‘eyes and ears’ in your neighbourhood You’re in the best position to know if there’s an issue impacting safety in your neighbourhood. Report a crime by calling:

● 911 - emergency or crime in progress

● 490-5020 (Halifax Regional Police) or 244-7208 (RCMP) - non-emergency requiring an officer to be dispatched

● 490-5016 (Halifax Regional Police) or 244-7208 (RCMP) - to file an incident report. You can also report minor crime on-line at https://www.halifax.ca/police/NonDispatch.

Report crime anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submitting a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca or texting a tip - Tip 202 + your message to 274637.



Be a good neighbour

Make your neighbourhood less vulnerable to crime by:

● getting to know your neighbours. Knowing who your neighbours are and what is going on in your neighbourhood will help you to identify suspicious activity.

● joining/forming a Neighbourhood Watch group in your neighbourhood. Neighbourhood Watch provides a means of reducing the opportunity for crime to occur through the active participation of citizens in crime prevention. Visit www.halifax.ca/Police/Programs/neighbourhoodwatch.html for more information on Neighbourhood Watch.

● finding ways to engage with youth in your community.

Visit myhrm.ca for more information on HRM’s Good Neighbours, Great Neighbourhoods initiative.



Be involved

Volunteer with a crime prevention/public safety organization. For information on volunteering with Halifax Regional Police, visit www.halifax.ca/Police/getinvolved.html or call 490-6976. For information on volunteering with RCMP, visit www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ns/prog_services/community_policing-police_communautaire/volunteer-benevole/index-eng.htm .



Make crime prevention a daily practice

Staying one step ahead of criminals will reduce your risk of being a victim of crime. Visit www.halifax.ca/police/PublicSafety/CrimePreventionTips.html for simple crime prevention tips you can incorporate into your daily routine.



Keep apprised of crime trends in your area Learn about policing and public safety in our community through the following channels:

● blog - chat with HRM’s Public Safety Officer at http://spotlightonpublicsafety.wordpress.com

● Facebook - join Halifax Regional Police and Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Nova Scotia

● Twitter - follow HfxRegPolice and RCMPNS

● RSS feed - subscribe to police reports and/or media releases at http://www.halifax.ca/rss/index.php (Halifax Regional Police) or http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/rss/index-eng.htm (RCMP).

● City Watch - receive email or phone notifications of imminent dangers and current issues. You can sign up for City by sending an e-mail with your name, telephone number, mailing address and e-mail address to citywatch@halifax.ca.



Visit www.halifax.ca/police/PublicSafety/NationalCrimePreventionMonth.html for more crime prevention tips.