Amanda Scherr walked outside to discover that her vehicle had been broken into last week.
“It’s the gut drop first and then the ‘what did I leave in my vehicle?’ The sudden fear of ‘did I accidentally [leave] my wallet in there, was anything of importance that targets me left in my vehicle?’” Scherr recalled.
The break-in was not the first for Scherr. According to the local business owner, it happens a few times each year, especially when the weather warms up.
According to SGI, it’s a trend throughout Saskatoon.
“Vandalism claims are typically higher in the warmer months and lower in the colder months. So those higher volumes of vandalism claims, would be seen from May to October compared to November through April,” SGI spokesperson Heather Hubic told CTV News.
The trend is also seen by the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS). Chief Cam McBride shared these ‘crimes of opportunity’ can sometimes be prevented when property owners take increased security measures.
“Parking in well-lit areas, making sure that your lighting is actually working ... having motion sensor lighting. Lots of people now are going to the doorbell cameras,” McBride said.
“Certainly, those who are walking around looking for crimes of opportunity are wary of that - and if it’s truly a crime of opportunity, they may just walk to the next place.”
Many vehicle owners opt to leave their cars unlocked to deter thieves from breaking windows.
SGI shared that this method can create difficulties when it comes to making a claim.
“You wouldn’t be considered at-fault for a vandalism claim if you left your vehicle unlocked in a vandal-caused damage, but you would have to pay a deductible since there is likely no responsible party to cover the deductible unless police were able to find that vandal,” Hubic said.
For Scherr, the frequency of break-ins has her questioning the best practices.
“Do I lock my vehicle and risk my windows being broken into, or do I leave it unlocked and kind of do a run through of what’s in my vehicle?” she said.
“Is it worth losing if I leave it unlocked for the night? It’s kind of sad when you have to go through that risk assessment every night.”
Scherr said she’s learned a few things when it comes to preventing theft, and she is now hoping to educate others as the season of petty crime begins.
“Don’t leave anything valuable in your vehicles. Don’t give people a reason to go through them in the first place,” Scheer said. “Even as much as [some] change in your vehicle can be enough.”
