Another SafeTech crime report, this time it is our The Beaches Crime Report. “The Beaches” (also known as “The Beach”) is a Toronto neighbourhood that is located primarily along Queen Street East. The boundaries of the region are Kingston Road in the north, Coxwell Ave in the west, Victoria Park Avenue in the east and Lake Ontario in the south. The area is known for the commercial district along Queen Street, the beautiful single-family homes in the area and, of course, the beach.
Statistics: The Beaches Crime Report
The amount of crime against people and crime against property in the Beach is average in comparison to the rest of the City of Toronto. For the area of the Beaches that is south of Queen Street, there is an average of 7.8 crimes against people per 1,000 people living and working in the area. There is an average of 20.64 crimes against property.
North of Queen, there is an average of 7.44 crimes against people and 23.68 crimes against property.
Case Studies: The Beaches Crime Report
One of the most famous recent crime incidents was actually a series of more than 40 burglaries that took place over a month in late 2008. Between late October and early December 2008, almost 50 homes were broken into by a single burglar. The burglar stole small valuables from each home such as personal electronics like cell phone, music players and laptop computers. The criminal even took food and drinks from the refrigerators of his victims. All of the related burglaries happened in the early morning when most residents were still asleep.
The crime spree led to a police manhunt in the area.
Officers stated that insufficient security made the break-ins rather easy.
“These are very expensive homes with very cheap locks,” said Inspector Peter Yuen.
“What we want people to do is make sure their house is secure and make it as unattractive as possible for a bandit to get into your house. Lock your door, make sure your windows are closed, keep a light on over your porch.”
Those tips should be followed by everyone in order to avoid burglaries. Doors should always be locked with strong dead bolts and windows should be protected with bars. Motion-activated lighting over all entryways and elsewhere on your property is incredibly effective as well.
Of course, you should always make sure to set your home alarm system. This is an important fact to learn from The Beaches Crime Report.
Robberies in the Beaches have not been limited to residential properties either. In April 2010, a restaurant owner had his teeth knocked out during a robbery. Two unknown assailants attacked the man outside his restaurant at night. They threw him against his car, hit him in the mouth with an object and stole the day’s receipts and cash from the owner.
It is incredibly important to always be aware of your surroundings, especially when carrying cash or valuables. Equipping the inside and outside of your business (or residence) with security cameras is also a great idea. Not only does this make it much more difficult for criminal to escape without being seen, but cameras often act as a deterrent to crime. Trusting cameras and security tools will reduce the likelihood of your becoming a statistic in our The Beaches Crime Report.
