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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Wednesday, August 14, 2013 | 6 According to the Ontario Provincial Police, research indicates the decision to commit any crime is tied to the perceived risk of being caught. Crime is often also tied to opportunity. It's therefore not surprising that more than 200,000 break and enters are reported to police each year in Canada. Of those, six in 10 are residential break-ins. Clearly, many thieves believe that entering a home is a low-risk venture -- especially when some homeowners make it even easier for individuals by leaving doors unlocked or windows open. While summer is always busy with police reports being the same, there have been numerous incidents this year of thieves striking while homeowners are in their homes. This is alarming when one considers the potential dangerous outcomes that could arise. According to the Halton police, while the region remains Canada's safest regional municipality, residential and commercial break and enters remain an all too common occurrence. They also say it is almost impossible to anticipate where or when a break-in is going to occur. One fact remains consistent, however: every property, unless suitably secured, will offer opportunistic thieves the chance to break, enter and steal. Typically, during warm weather, when people leave doors and windows open to catch the cool night air, thieves use the opportunity to strike. Garages left unlocked always present an open door to quickly lay hands on items such as bicycles, golf clubs, lawn equipment and power tools. Garages often also offer the chance for criminals to work undetected as they break into a home through an interior garage door. Historically, police report thieves are searching out items quick to steal, small to transport and easily turned into cash. Suspects are looking for small electronics, jewelry and cash. With this season's occurrences of thieves breaking into a home while a resident works in their garden, a new level of brashness has surfaced. Halton police remind residents to remain vigilant and keep doors and windows locked when away from home or asleep, as a screened door or window can easily be cut or removed by thieves. Police offer the following tips to homeowners as a means of reducing the risk of their homes to being broken into: · Securely lock all windows/doors to home · Have an alarm/video surveillance system installed · Utilize exterior lighting · Use locks on gates to backyard · If you suspect your home has been entered and/ or an intruder is still present within or nearby, contact 911 immediately for police assistance. Additional tips related to both home and personal security can be found on Halton Police's website under the `Community Policing' tab. Reducing the opportunities Editorial I N P R A I S E O F M U S "Connected to your Community" T A N G S 467 Speers Road, Oakville ON, L6K 3S4 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Editorial Department: (905) 632-0588 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 51 | Number 56 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice ­President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Halton Region Editor in Chief Advertising Director NEIL OLIVER DAVID HARVEY JILL DAVIS DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager Director of Production SANDY PARE MARK DILLS From left, Daryll Horvath, Randy Massey and Bill Ellis check out Ellis' 1966 yellow Mustang at this summer's annual Mustang Show at Ford Canada headquarters in Oakville. The event is hosted by the Golden Horseshoe Mustang Association and the Greater Toronto Area Mustang Club. | photo by Hannah Yoon ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog) MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager Thanks Oakville from March of Dimes For more than 60 years, March of Dimes has depended on the kindness and generosity of Ontarians who open their doors, hearts and wallets during our annual Doorto-Door Campaign. The Oakville Campaign raised more than $35,000. Once again, this past January and February more than 6,000 canvassers across the province went door-to-door to help raise money for children and adults living with physical disabilities. This year they were also joined by online canvassers. Our volunteers carried on a tradition started more than 60 years ago when "Marching Mothers" went door to door to raise money for a polio cure. Thanks to their efforts, a vaccine was found and Canada was the rst country to be declared polio-free. Today's March of Dimes provides programs and services that open doors for people with physical disabilities to jobs, recreation, mobility and independence -- but we couldn't do it without our dedicated volunteers. On behalf of March of Dimes, I extend my deepest gratitude to all of our volunteers in Oakville and thank them for helping us raise close to $600,000 in 2013. We couldn't do it without you. Mary Lynne Stewart, director, Fund Development/Communications, March of Dimes Canada Letters to the Editor Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Proud Official Media Sponsor For: For more news, visit www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to: ablackburn@oakvillebeaver. com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline.