Community Safety

If you have a driveway or front parking space, use it first for parking your vehicle, as opposed to parking on the street. The street is an understood “public” space that is viewed by criminals as being less monitored, controlled, or accountable by the owner of the vehicle, therefore making it more prone to be considered for theft or vandalism. Don’t forget to lock your doors and remove any valuables.

Install bright, motion-activated LED floodlights to expose darker, “back-of-house” areas of your home. Sudden activation of bright light typically scares off intruders and alerts the attention of witnesses.

Keep landscaping trimmed to maintain sight lines into and out from your home and other structured such as a garage or storage shed. Increased visibility will help reduce criminal activity.

Ensure your house address numbers are large and easily recognizable from the road. The numbers should be 5 - 6 inches high and on a high contrast background, not obstructed by shrubs/tree branches, and in a well-lit area. This greatly aids first responders when making an emergency response to your property – particularly at night.

Well maintained property is a strong, visible sign to any criminal that someone is in constant care and control, making for increased resistance against crime and therefore less attractive to criminals as an enticing target.

Use solid core doors with steel door frames, a one-way privacy viewing port to observe visitors before opening the door, and dead bolt locks. All windows should also be kept locked. A good security system and video doorbell will provide further protection against theft and assist police to apprehend criminals.

If you see something that looks out of the ordinary, call it in using the non-emergency Police number at 1-888-310-1122. If something occurs to cause you to feel uneasy in any way, chances are, it may end up being legitimate and should be brought to the attention of the police. Remember…it is everyone’s neighbourhood in these situations, not just a single property.

If you have a security alarm system for your home or business, use it. Do not try to bluff criminals by simply using an alarm company sign; your bluff might be called with unfortunate results. Bonus tip: Register your security alarm system with the Town of Essex to avoid false alarm fees at www.essex.ca/FalseAlarm

If you see that streetlights are blocked by tree branches, report it online at www.essex.ca/reportaproblem so that maintenance crews can fix the issue to maintain public safety.

Leaving for vacation? Have a family member or neighbour ensure that your mail is cleared and snow shoveled daily when away to keep your property looking occupied.