A burglary is when someone enters illegally a place such as a home or a business and steals someone else's belongings.

A break-and-entry is when someone illegally enters a place for the purpose of committing a crime: theft, assault, etc.

Follow the advice below to protect yourself and your home against break-and-entry and burglary.

Advices

• Make sure your exterior doors are well lit. Avoid having bushes, trees and fences around your home – they may provide hiding places for burglars.
• Use automatic light timers – they're easy to install and inexpensive.
• Engrave your valuables – your neighbourhood police station will lend you an engraver for free. CDs can be marked with indelible ink.
• Install a security system to alert your neighbours of the presence of intruders.
• The officers at your neighbourhood police station will help you identify the vulnerabilities in your home and take measures to fix them - for free!

If you are going away for a long time:

• Ask someone you trust to pick up your mail.
• Cancel your newspaper subscriptions.
• In winter, have your walkway and balcony shovelled.
• In summer, have your lawn mowed.

If you are burgled, call 9-1-1 immediately. If you witness the burglary, describe the burglar and the burglar's escape route. Do not touch anything until the police arrive.

Alternate information

Postes de quartier map

» Identify your PDQ «