Home Security

Our homes are very important to us, and there are many steps you can take to ensure your home is safer and more secure.

The best way to deal with problems is to stop them before they start. Neighbourhood safety is a shared responsibility, in which both residents and police have important roles.

• Get to know your neighbours
• Be aware of strangers and look out for each other
• Leave keys and emergency phone numbers with a trusted neighbour
• Keep up appearances – a well-tended neighbourhood is less attractive to criminals and vandals
• Join Block Watch

Suspicious Activity? Call 911

We want to hear from you if something suspicious is happening. Call 911, or if there is a time delay of more than 15 minutes, call 604-717-3321.

More information on calling 911.

Installing an electronic home security system is an effective way to protect your home. If you choose an unmonitored alarm, let your neighbours know to call police if they hear it go off. If your alarm is monitored, your alarm company will contact police.

Some things to consider when choosing an alarm:

• Choose an alarm that does not use telephone wires to send its signal to the alarm company to prevent thieves from disabling your alarm by cutting the phone wires.
• Ask for recommendations from friends that have alarm systems or from your insurance agent.
• Check your alarm company’s standing with the Canadian Alarm and Security Association, or the Better Business Bureau.

Your alarm won’t protect you if you don’t turn it on, and is only one step toward preventing break-ins.

Did you know that in approximately half of all residential break-ins, thieves simply entered through unlocked doors or windows?

Ensure your address is clearly visible to emergency responders at all times. If you have a laneway, post your address at the rear of your house, as well. Trim trees and bushes that could hide thieves. Trees growing near your house could also help a thief enter through an unlocked upper story window.

• Strong doors and snug frames: Use solid wood or steel doors with snug-fitting frames. Glass near doors should be unbreakable or at least 40 inches from locks. For sliding doors, add screws or plates to prevent lifting.
• Add door-stops: A floor-mounted door stop offers better security than a chain lock.
• Secure garage doors: Lock your garage door from the inside for added protection.
• Upgrade hinges: Attach hinges securely with long screws into studs, and replace outside hinges with tamper-proof options.
• Use a wide-angle viewer: Skip the chain lock—use a peephole to see visitors without opening the door.
• Change locks when needed: Always replace locks if keys are lost or when moving into a new home.

• Protect garage windows: Use bars or plexiglass to secure windows and prevent easy access.
• Reinforce doors: Ensure doors to the outside or house are solid core, swing inward, and have deadbolts for maximum security.
• Lock it up: Always keep your garage locked, even when you’re home.
• Light it up: Install exterior lights near your garage to deter intruders.
• Close it fully: Make sure the overhead garage door shuts completely after entering or leaving.

Windows are generally a weak link when it comes to residential security. They can be pried open or broken, lifted from their tracks and the panes removed. There are numerous ways to increase the security to windows:

• Secure unused windows: Permanently secure non-fire exit windows with nails, screws, or security bars.
• Lock sliding windows: Use a nail, pin, or special lock to secure vertical or horizontal sliding windows.
• Keyed latches: Replace keyless latches on casement and awning windows with keyed latches or slide bolts, or add a removable pin.
• Block sash-less windows: Fit a snug wood piece in the bottom track and a small screw in the top track to prevent movement.
• Protect basement windows: Add grills, bars, or shatter-resistant film but ensure at least one operable escape window for safety.
• Install security bars or grills: These create a strong physical barrier, even if the glass breaks. Make sure they don’t block a fire escape window.
• Use reinforced or laminated glass: This tougher glass resists breakage and is ideal for windows near doors or hidden areas.
• Add motion detectors: Window motion sensors alert you if someone tampers with your windows.

• Upgrade to deadbolts: Use deadbolts on all exterior doors with a 1-inch (2.5 cm) throw. Make sure the collar is sturdy or has a rotating slip ring. Install a strike plate (6–8 inches) with long screws that anchor into the wall stud for added strength.
• Try bolt rim locks: These locks have two vertical deadbolts that secure into a mounted striker, making them great for wooden frames or doors with side windows. They resist crowbars and offer solid security if well-made.
• Go keyless: Push-button rim locks and digitally coded deadbolts are convenient and secure. Change the keypad codes often to prevent wear and tear. Electronic deadbolts with remotes are great for easy access and work well for seniors or those with disabilities.
• Reinforce your door: Add steel reinforcement to the door and frame to boost durability. It’s affordable, easy to install, and pairs perfectly with a good deadbolt for top-notch security.

Project Access allows property managers and strata corporations to voluntarily ensure access for police through the building’s intercom security panel when there are potentially life-threatening and urgent incidents.

Learn more about how you can bring the Project Access program to your building.

Lobby Security

• Avoid tailgating: Don’t let strangers enter the building as you’re coming or going.
• Buzz with care: Only buzz in people you know or were expecting.
• Report concerns: Refer unknown or suspicious individuals to the manager, superintendent, or security.
• Lock up together: Work with neighbors to keep outer doors locked at all times.
• Protect your identity: Use just your first initial on directories, mailboxes, and doorbells.
• No notes: Don’t leave notes on your door or in the lobby directory.
• Update locks: Change locks if keys are lost or when moving into a new apartment.

Elevator Safety

• Check before entering: Look to see who is inside the elevator before stepping in.
• Trust your instincts: If someone makes you uneasy, wait for the next elevator.
• Stay in control: Stand near the control panel so you can press the alarm or buttons if needed.
• Exit safely: If someone suspicious enters, step out before the doors close.

If you are going on vacation or are going to be away from your home or apartment for several days, create the illusion that your home is occupied.

• Trust someone with your home: Leave your house in the care of someone reliable and share your emergency contact info.
• Keep up appearances: Arrange for mail pickup, lawn care, or snow removal to make your home look lived-in.
• Light it up: Use timers on lights, TVs, or radios to create the illusion of activity when you’re out.
• Borrow a car spot: Ask a neighbour to park in your driveway or stall while you’re away to deter thieves.
• Silence your phone: Turn down the ringer or set voicemail to pick up quickly.
• Install motion lights: Security lights with motion detectors are affordable and effective, and battery add-ons work with existing fixtures.
• No notes or hints: Never leave notes, voicemail messages, or social media posts revealing you’re away.
• Keep window treatments natural: Leave blinds and curtains in their normal positions.
• Secure your garage: Lock garage door tracks or disable automatic openers before leaving for a trip.

• Don’t advertise new purchases: Avoid leaving boxes from TVs, stereos, or other expensive items in your recycling or trash.
• Keep keys safe: Leave spare keys with a trusted neighbour, not under mats or pots.
• Lock doors, always: When in the backyard, lock the front door—and vice versa.
• Secure tools: Lock up ladders and tools, and engrave or mark them for ID purposes.
• Re-key your home: Moving? Hire a reliable locksmith to re-key exterior doors.
• Hide irreplaceable items: Store valuables out of plain sight or in safes. Look into “diversion safes” disguised as everyday objects like books or cans.
• Create an occupied look: Use timers for lights, and leave the TV or radio on when you’re away, especially during winter or dark days.
• Always respond to knocks: Use a peephole or speak through a closed door. Never reveal you’re home alone—teach kids safe responses, too.
• Keep entryways clear: Hide keys, wallets, and devices from plain view near doors to deter thieves.

If you come home and see a slit screen, a broken window or an open door, don’t go in – call 911. Fewer than 3% of break-ins occur when someone is home. If you do surprise a thief, don’t confront them. Leave safely if you can and call police. Otherwise, lock yourself in a room with a phone and then call 911.

Consider joining Block Watch. A break-and-enter can be prevented if criminals know there are watchful neighbours.

You’ve called police – now what?

Find more information on reporting a break-in.