On Thursday, September 12, 2019 Burnaby RCMP’s Crime Prevention Unit along with Burnaby RCMP’s Strike Force Robbery Unit provided a presentation to the community on current robbery trends and also advice on how to avoid being a target for thieves. The presentation was very well attended at Tommy Douglas Public Library with great questions and input from members of our community.
For those who were unable to attend the presentation, some of the advice pertaining to personal robberies provided by members from Burnaby RCMP’s Strike Force Robbery Unit is outlined below.
Staying safe
Being aware of your surroundings can help you notice potential threats and also give you awareness of the best ways to get help if you need it. It’s important to be mindful of the following when out walking, particularly as the days get shorter with darker evenings.
Try to walk in well lit areas that you are familiar with.
Keep your eyes up, be aware of your surroundings. This means not wearing headphones and not texting as you walk.
If you’re parking your vehicle, please do so in a well lit area, preferably close to residences or businesses.
If you are carrying a bag or purse, ensure you carry it close to your body, consider placing purses under an outer garment like a coat.
If you’re a victim
We understand that being a victim of a personal robbery is a frightening experience but there are things that you can do to lessen the potential of harm to yourself and also to assist police in our search for the suspect.
Stay as calm as possible, don’t make any sudden movements that could surprise the suspect.
Don’t try to fight back or struggle. Your health is more important than your property.
Try to take note of anything unique about the suspect. Tattoos, clothing, ethnicity and hairstyle. It can all assist police in our search for the suspect.
Do not follow the suspect but do note their direction of travel.
Contact police immediately. Remember you’re both a victim and our best witness so please ensure you speak to police and provide us with all the information you can about the robbery.
Burnaby RCMP’s Crime Prevention Unit continue to provide presentations on numerous areas of public safety. Stay tuned to Burnaby RCMP on Twitter @BurnabyRCMP for more information on upcoming presentations.