November is National Crime Prevention and Community Safety Month and the HRM Public Safety Office is encouraging you to play a role in public safety.
Be the ‘eyes and ears’ in your neighbourhood
You’re in the best position to know if there’s an issue impacting safety in your neighbourhood. Report a crime by calling:
● 911 – emergency or crime in progress
● 490-5020 (Halifax Regional Police) or 244-7208 (RCMP) – non-emergency requiring an officer to be dispatched
● 490-5016 (Halifax Regional Police) or 244-7208 (RCMP) – to file an incident report. You can also report minor crime on-line at https://www.halifax.ca/police/NonDispatch.
Report crime anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submitting a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca or texting a tip – Tip 202 + your message to 274637.
Be a good neighbour
Make your neighbourhood less vulnerable to crime by:
● getting to know your neighbours. Knowing who your neighbours are and what is going on in your neighbourhood will help you to identify suspicious activity.
● joining/forming a Neighbourhood Watch group in your neighbourhood. Neighbourhood Watch provides a means of reducing the opportunity for crime to occur through the active participation of citizens in crime prevention. Visit www.halifax.ca/Police/Programs/neighbourhoodwatch.html for more information on Neighbourhood Watch.
● finding ways to engage with youth in your community.
Visit myhrm.ca for more information on HRM’s Good Neighbours, Great Neighbourhoods initiative.
Be involved
Volunteer with a crime prevention/public safety organization. For information on volunteering with Halifax Regional Police, visit www.halifax.ca/Police/getinvolved.html or call 490-6976. For information on volunteering with RCMP, visit www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ns/prog_services/community_policing-police_communautaire/volunteer-benevole/index-eng.htm .
Make crime prevention a daily practice
Staying one step ahead of criminals will reduce your risk of being a victim of crime. Visit www.halifax.ca/police/PublicSafety/CrimePreventionTips.html for simple crime prevention tips you can incorporate into your daily routine.
Visit www.halifax.ca/police/PublicSafety/NationalCrimePreventionMonth.html for more crime prevention tips.