Regina police say there have been 363 garage break-and-enters reported between January 1 and June 28, 2018.
It’s a 22 per cent increase over the same timeframe last year.
Although reports of garage break-and-enters have been happening across the city, Regina Police Service (RPS) say they have been particularly concentrated in the Rosemont-Mount Royal neighbourhood.
RPS is urging residents to lock their garage and take garage door openers out of cars parked on the street or driveway.
Investigations into many of these garage break-and-enters have led to arrests. Arresting and charging offenders, however, is only part of the solution. There are a number of proactive strategies that residents can execute to help prevent garage break and enters:
- Securely lock all garage doors, both outside doors and the attached doors that lead into your house;
- Remove garage door openers from cars parked on the street or driveway. To thieves, that small piece of plastic is the key to a treasure trove of valuables, and maybe even access to your house through an attached garage;
- Assess the condition of garage doors. A weak or damaged door or lock could be easily forced open;
- Install motion sensor lights by your driveway/doors.
Anyone who sees suspicious activity is encouraged to call the Regina Police Service at 306-777-6500. If you see a crime in progress, call 9-1-1.