The following are some common crime prevention tips that may help you avoid becoming a victim and save your holidays.

• Be sure to lock your vehicle whether you are parking in your driveway, on the street, at the mall, or even at your workplace. Thieves will be checking parked cars and they will most likely enter or break into vehicles when they see valuables or gifts in plain sight. #LockItOrLoseIt
• Decline front step parcel drop off. Thieves are well aware that during the holiday season many people are receiving valuable gifts through delivery services and they are constantly wandering and biking through our neighbourhoods looking for recently delivered goods.
• Avoid leaving vehicle keys, valuables, cash, credit cards, and even your identification in lockers at recreational facilities. Thieves are frequently entering these locations and breaking into lockers, even cutting off locks to gain access. 
• Don’t forget to lock your home doors and windows whenever possible, and don’t leave expensive gifts wrapped or un-wrapped in plain view from windows in your home. Thieves often peak in home windows to see if anything of value makes it worth the risk of committing a break and enter.

Thieves are aware many of us leave during the Holidays. Whether you’re a student going home or a local resident traveling somewhere, you should take a few steps to decrease the chance your residence may be broken into:

• Make sure your home/apartment is locked up.
• Have a trusted neighbour/friend check on the residence, shovel your driveway, walkway, porch, etc.
• Contact the post office to put your mail on hold or have someone collect it while you are gone.
• Put some lights, music or a television on a timer. Make it look like someone is home.
• Do not post on social media that you will be away or post your holiday photos while you are away.

Other Home Safety tips.