New Home Vandalism

The Calgary Police Service is working with Calgary home builders to reduce the number of incidents of break and enter, vandalism and thefts from new homes in and around the Calgary area.

Throughout the past year, 239 newly built residential homes have been broken into by vandals just prior to homeowner possession. The resulting damages are not only costly to builders, but have a resounding impact on new homeowners whose possession dates must be pushed back to allow repairs to be made, often leaving them homeless.

Beyond the theft of tools and appliances, vandals have gone to the extent of stuffing drains and turning all the taps on in a residence, leaving them to flood newly installed flooring and soaking drywall.

“Our commitment to being a good corporate citizen and supporting the communities which we live, build and work in starts with developing a safe place for our trades to work. To do this we ask everyone involved to become part of the process and help report any activity that is suspicious. We have reached out to other Builders who as us believe that a home is only as good as its community and it takes us all working together to build a safe place that is unwelcome to criminal behavior for our homeowners to raise their families,” says Trevor Klein, Safety Auditor for Jayman Homes.

 “Acts of vandalism, theft and break and enter are criminal acts that will be investigated and charges will be pursued,” says Cst. Sarah Killington, District 8 Community Resource Officer. “Anyone who sees suspicious activity in their neighbourhood around houses under construction is asked to contact the police or Crime Stoppers.”

What to watch for:

• Suspicious people and vehicles, who may be about at odd times. Most contractors are prohibited from working between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
• Large box-style trucks pulling up after normal working hours should be considered suspicious.
• Brand new appliances sold online or through other means, without proof of purchase, or warranty, may be the product of a theft.
• Workers should be able to provide proof of employment such as a business card, if requested.

Anyone with information about any incidents of new home vandalism is asked to call police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers anonymously using any of the following methods:

TALK: 1-800-222-8477

TYPE: tttTIPS.com

TEXT: tttTIPS to 274637