There's compelling evidence to suggest we live in a pretty safe place. In a metropolis that has its fair share of criminal activity, South Delta provides a retreat, a refuge from the ills associated with big city living.
As much as it might seem like it sometimes, we don't live in Mayberry, which means it's still necessary to lock our cars and homes to protect us from an element, although not large, that's ready to strike should the opportunity arise.
Despite this reality, I'm amazed at the number of people that don't take the simplest of precautions and lock the door behind them, particularly when it comes to their cars.
Maybe I'm too anal, perhaps it's because I've edited one too many installments of the Crime Beat or it could just be a case of being overly protective of my Shania Twain CD, but I'd never think of leaving my car unlocked. Given it takes all of a nanosecond to lock all the doors remotely, it doesn't strike me as that much effort compared to the protection it provides.
Yet every Friday in the Crime Beat there are examples of thieves breaking into cars that are either unlocked or are locked but have valuables in plain view. In fact, the instances are so commonplace that if I have to edit the column to fit the available space, I almost always lop off these types of reports because of their redundancy.
Despite what should be a weekly reminder not to make your vehicle appealing to opportunistic thieves, there's a never-ending list of reports where wallets, laptops, cell phones and other valuables are stolen. Heck, thieves will even violate your personal space for a pair of sunglasses or some loose change, so pretty much anything acts as an inducement. I'm not telling you anything you don't already know or that isn't painfully obvious, yet several weeks ago 10 cars in one Ladner neighbourhood were broken into and, according to police, in every case the vehicle had been left unlocked. What are these people thinking? It won't happen to them? Well, it takes place with enough frequency that it will happen to you if you continue to tempt fate.
It must be maddening for police to have to respond to so many property crime calls that could have been easily prevented. That's not to say the victims deserved what they got, but they certainly could have helped themselves by employing the most basic of safety precautions.
It's comforting to know we live in a safe place, but that doesn't mean we can let our guard down.
