Community Column by Don Butt (March 2012)

Town of Mono, ON (Mono Community Policing Committee) This month we will continue our home security discussion from last month. We talked about things you should do outside your house to thwart home invasion. Now we can talk about things you can do to protect your valuables inside the home. One item we ran out of space for was those who have sash type windows. These are hard to lock, but if you drill a small hole through the top of the bottom sash and into (but not through) the bottom of the top sash and insert a pin or nail into the hole, it will prevent opening either window.



You should mark all valuables with an engraver and post stickers on windows and doors saying they are so identified. Thefts from garages are one of the most common crimes. Keep garages locked and keep ladders in the garage. Store valuables in the basement in a lock box, hidden in a general storage area. Criminals tend to spend little time there.

Leaving interior lights on when you are away is a deterrent but only to inexperienced criminals unless you put some lights on timers and vary the on/off times. Criminals watching a house know that lights do not stay on in rooms the same way or times every day. Have a trusted friend pick up your mail and newspapers everyday when away. Mail or papers piling up is a dead giveaway that no one is home. Also, do not leave outside lights on if away as this has become so common as to be a giveaway that no one is home, especially if they stay on all day.

Of course, electronic burglar alarms are good but only if they are remotely monitored. These are very expensive and there is a monthly charge for monitoring. Depending on the Company , the alarms may appear to be free but the monthly charges are set to cover it.

Safety Tip – In Ontario, every day, two people are killed in car crashes. The odds may be slim but the reality is there. Mistakes like not stopping for stop signs, breezing through an amber light when you could have stopped or not taking the time to thoroughly inspect an intersection before starting up on a green light put you at risk. Good habits are as easy to practice as bad ones so choose habits that are in your safety interest. (this tip comes to you from Doug Annett and the Skid Control School at Oakville, ON www.skidcontrolschool.com)

Road Watch
Our forms are still available at the following places. We know that many people simply call in by cell phone but you may want to keep one of our forms in your glove box to show you what information we require.
Drop Boxes:
Mono Municipal Office,
Pete’s Donuts, Mono Mills,
Mono Plaza,
OPP Primrose,
Wellington Dufferin Guelph Health Unit, Orangeville, (forms only)
.
Please make the effort to report dangerous and aggressive drivers, the life you save may be your own or a loved one. Many people now simply phone in by cell phone and this is fine but please use the number shown on our report forms.

To contact us – monocommunitypolicing.ca or
Mono Community Policing Committee
c/o Town of Mono,
347209 Mono Centre Road,R.R. #2, Orangeville L9W 2Y8.