The same reasons you enjoy living in the County’s rural atmosphere—remote location and few neighbors—also make your home or acreage attractive to criminals and vandals. When you're planning on being away from your home or acreage, there are simple and effective steps you can take to safeguard your property in your absence.

Reduce Opportunity

  • Get in the habit of locking all doors, secure windows and keep the garage door closed.
  • Trim bushes and trees around the property to eliminate hiding places and make your house more visible to neighbors.
  • Lock up your shed! The ladder and tools inside can used to break into your house.

Lights

  • Install several lights in strategic locations around the property.
  • Use timers, motion detection sensors, or photocells to turn lights on when it gets dark and off at first light. There are also a number of solar alternatives available.

Gates

  • Limit access to your property to just one point of entry by securing all gates with hardened padlocks.
  • Automatic gates can be opened and closed from your vehicle or residence and are a great way to restrict access to your property.
  • If the logistics of your property make gates impractical, wireless lane announcement systems can be used. They don’t prevent entry but do provide notification if anyone drives down your lane and can be set to detect only metal objects.

Home Security Systems

  • Consider hiring a guard service to answer your home alarm should it be set off. The guard service will know where your place is and be able to respond promptly to your alarm.

Protect Valuable Items

  • Mark equipment, vehicles and machinery in at least two places with an identification number or other mark.
  • Make lists and take photographs of valuables, tools, equipment and machinery.
  • Record VIN numbers and license plate numbers.
  • Secure all loose keys in a locked key chest or a safe. Remove the keys from machinery and vehicles and lock the cabs and doors.
  • Store personal information and serial numbers in a fireproof safe or offsite in a secure location such as a bank safe deposit box.

Work With Your Neighbors

  • Keep an eye on each other’s property and learn to recognize the ebb and flow of your neighborhood.
  • Take note of vehicles you haven’t seen before and report suspicious activity to the RCMP.
  • Report suspicious activity promptly including detailed descriptions of subjects and vehicles, licence plate numbers and direction of travel.
  • Alberta Rural Crime Watch is a great resource for crime prevention strategies and their implementation. Find out if a branch is operating in your area and if there isn’t, start one!

Contact

RCMP
403.932.2211
24-hour non-emergencies

Crimestopppers
1.800.222.8477
www.calgarycrimestoppers.org

Rural Living

Rocky View County is largely a rural area. Learn about some important differences between rural and city living.