News release
Richmond RCMP asks residents to “Leave thieves out in the cold” this holiday season
November 3, 2025
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Richmond, British Columbia
From: Richmond RCMP
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Content
With the holiday season approaching, Richmond RCMP is reminding residents to take simple steps to protect their homes and valuables.
A new 42 second video highlights quick and effective ways to reduce the risk of break-ins this winter.
Transcription
Description: A video demonstrating tips that can help make your home less enticing for thieves.
[A title reads: “Protect Your Home”.]
[Two children and their mother leave their house. A thief emerges from hiding in a bush.]
How can you protect your home from thieves?
[A home alarm panel lights up as the words “SYSTEM ACTIVE” is shown on the display.]
Set your alarm.
[The thief walks up to the front door. The door magically locks itself.]
Always lock your door.
[Figuring out the door is locked, the thief looks under the doormat to find a key hidden underneath.]
Don’t hide spare keys outside your home.
[The thief picks up the key. The key magically disappears, surprising the thief.]
[The thief moves to an open window and spots a laptop, keys, and a wallet on a table.]
Keep valuables out of sight and lock your windows.
[The window closes itself and locks.]
[The angry thief grabs a hammer to break the window. He lifts the hammer, getting ready to strike.]
[A security camera records the thief. The thief looks into the camera and hides the hammer behind his back.]
Security cameras are a great deterrent and can help police identify thieves.
[Inside the house, a radio lights up with the words “RADIO ON”.]
Turning on your radio…
[The thief hears the radio.]
[A lamp turns on.]
Putting a timer on your lights and playing TV, makes it seem like someone is home.
[A television turns on, playing the news. The news broadcast shows “RCMP FRAUD AWARENESS CAMPAIGN”. The thief sees this.]
Thief
Someone’s home!
[The thief runs away from the house.]
[An RCMP officer talks to camera.]
Cpl. Melissa Lui
Your home can’t protect itself. By working together, we can leave thieves out in the cold.
[We zoom out to reveal the officer caught the thief. The officer walks the thief to a police car.]
Let’s go.
[The video fades to black.]
[RCMP/GRC copyright notice appears]
[Government of Canada wordmark with a waving Canadian flag appears.]
Tips to protect your home
- Set your home alarm
- Always lock your doors and windows
- Don’t hide spare keys outside your home or in your vehicle
- Keep valuables out of sight
- Install security cameras if possible; they are a strong deterrent and can help police identify thieves
- Use timers or smart devices to turn on lights, radios, or TVs when you are away, to make it appear someone is home
- If you’re going out of town, have a trusted person regularly check on your home
“In addition to stolen property, a break-in is an invasion of personal space that can leave victims with a lasting sense of violation,” said Cpl. Ryan Lee, Richmond RCMP Property Crime Unit. “By taking small steps and looking out for one another, we can make it harder for thieves to take advantage of our community.”
Richmond RCMP encourages residents to share the video on social media, discuss home security best-practices with friends and family, and to report suspicious behavior to police.
Residents should also consider joining or starting a local Block Watch group. Block Watch is a free, community-based program that connects residents to crime prevention information and resources specific to their area. Richmond RCMP also offers free Home Security Checks. For more information on Block Watch and other crime prevention programs in Richmond, visit the City of Richmond website.
Visit the BC RCMP website for more holiday season safety tips.
Contacts
Media Relations Officer
Richmond RCMP
richmond_media@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
604-207-5189