Increase in Calgary Break-Ins: How to Stay Safe in 2025

Calgary is experiencing a worrying uptick in residential break-and-enter incidents. Over the past few weeks alone, more than 30 homes have been targeted overnight, prompting a city-wide warning from the Calgary Police Service ctvnews.canewsroom.calgary.ca. Understanding why break-ins are rising, and taking proactive measures can help you protect your home and neighborhood.

Why Break-Ins Are on the Rise

1. Pandemic-Era Trends Persist
   Property crime across Canada surged during the pandemic, and Calgary hasn’t fully rebounded. Economic pressures and higher unemployment often correlate with increased opportunistic crimes.
2. Unsecured Entry Points
   Criminals look for easy access: unlocked side doors, basement windows, and poorly lit back alleys. In many cases, simple weaknesses invite break-and-enters.
3. Remote Work & Vacant Homes
   With more people working away from home or traveling, empty houses become targets. Even an afternoon outing can present an opportunity if security is lax.

Top 5 Ways to Deter Break-Ins

1. Upgrade Lighting & Visibility

Why it helps: Criminals avoid brightly lit areas where they can be easily seen. Motion-sensor lights at entrances, side doors, and alleyways can startle intruders and alert neighbors.

Action: Install LED motion lights covering all dark corners, particularly at rear and side access points blueskycalgary.com.

2. Reinforce Doors & Windows

Why it helps: Most break-ins exploit weak door frames or window locks.

Action:

• Fit solid-core exterior doors with deadbolt locks rated Grade 1.
• Add reinforced strike plates and longer screws.
• Install window security film to prevent glass shattering.

3. Leverage Technology—but Don’t Rely Solely on It

Why it helps: Cameras and alarms record evidence and notify you of activity—but they don’t physically deter unless someone is monitoring in real time.

Action:

• Pair cameras with a monitoring service or app alerts.
• Use smart doorbell cameras at your main entrance.
• Ensure alarm systems include automatic police or guard dispatch.

4. Establish a Neighborhood Watch & Community Patrols

Why it helps: A group of vigilant neighbors multiplies eyes on the street. Calgary communities that organize patrols or door-to-door check-ins report fewer incidents calgary.citynews.ca.

Action:

• Form or join a local Neighbourhood Watch group.
• Consider hiring a mobile patrol service like Guard Tower Security for periodic drives through your streets—high visibility alone cuts crime risk dramatically.

5. Keep “Post Orders” for Your Household & Staff

Why it helps: A documented security plan ensures anyone covering your home (cleaners, pet sitters, family) knows what to do if they spot suspicious activity.

Action:

• Create a simple checklist:
  • Lock all doors/windows at specified times
  • Report and document any unusual vehicles or people
  • Contact police or your security provider immediately
• Review and update this plan every six months.

The Role of Professional Security Guards

While individual measures are crucial, visible security personnel provide a level of deterrence that technology alone can’t match. Guards:

• Patrol on marked vehicles and uniforms, sending a clear message that the area is monitored.
• Offer rapid response in case of alarms or suspicious calls—often arriving faster than police.
• Provide detailed incident reports, helping you and law enforcement spot patterns and vulnerabilities.

Communities that combine resident vigilance with professional patrols see the greatest reductions in break-ins and vandalism.

Building a Safer Calgary Together

1. Share these tips with your neighbors and community associations.
2. Reach out to local security providers like Guard Tower Security for customized patrol plans.
3. Stay informed by subscribing to Calgary Police Service updates and community crime newsletters.

By taking these steps—upgrading your home’s defenses, leveraging both technology and human patrols, and fostering neighborhood cooperation—you can turn Calgary’s recent crime surge into a catalyst for stronger community bonds and safer streets.

Stay safe, stay vigilant—and together, we’ll keep Calgary’s homes secure.

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