Good Day Block Watch Captains, Co-Captains & Participants,

West Vancouver Police have responded to 220 calls for service since our October 17th Update.

Click Here To View Updated West Vancouver Crime Alerts

Break-Ins

For a second week in a row, our Crime Alerts begin with a residential break-in involving suspects climbing to an upper floor balcony & breaking in through a balcony door or window.  The home in the upper Ambleside/Hollyburn Area had an alarm system, but it was not set.

As mentioned in last week’s update, this is a sadly familiar pattern.  We urge residents to ensure your alarm is set anytime you’re away from your home.

As neighbours and Block Watch participants, please be watchful for any suspicious persons or activity, including any indication that a person or vehicle is lingering in the area for an unusual time, possibly casing or observing homes, or persons entering properties at unusual times of day or when you know neighbours are away.

Review your alarm system and where you have intrusion sensors. Burglary suspects will very commonly target upper floor balcony doors or windows, betting that homeowners will only have intrusion sensors on ground level entry points. Motivated suspects can and will climb to upper-level entry points.

Fraud

Suspects pretending over the phone to be Bank Security staff have accounted for two familiar Fraud reports over the past week. Two separate residents have reported being contacted by suspects who claimed to be staff of their personal bank.  Both victims were told there had been suspicious activity on their accounts and both were advised by the suspect to initiate a transfer of their funds to an account suggested by the suspect for “Safe Keeping”.  Unfortunately, funds were transferred and lost in both cases before the scam was recognized.  If you receive such a call, hang-up, and either contact your bank in person or directly from a different phone to confirm status of your accounts.

Cyber Security Month – Take A Cyber Safety Check-up

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month in Canada.  We are sharing information links throughout October on protecting yourself online.

This week we encourage to take your own personal Cyber Safety Check-Up from you to think more carefully about how secure your personal internet connections are.

Click Here to visit GetCyberSafe.gc.ca for a personal Cyber Safety Check-up

Anytime you see activity of concern, please don’t hesitate to call West Vancouver Police. Call 604-925-7300 for non-emergency matters. Call 9-1-1 in an emergency, including events that involve an immediate threat to a person or property or to report a substantive crime in progress.  For updated crime alerts anytime click westvanpolice.ca/crime-alerts.  

Jeff Palmer

Block Watch & Operational Support Coordinator

West Vancouver Police

t: 604-925-7300