Most residential break-ins are crimes of opportunity. Intruders are not looking for a challenge. They are looking for a home that appears empty, poorly lit, unwatched, and easy to enter. They will usually pass over a property that looks occupied, well maintained, visible from the street, and surrounded by neighbours who pay attention.
That is good news, because it means prevention works, and much of it costs nothing.
This guide explains how break-ins typically happen, then sets out what you can do, starting with the free steps you can take today, and building up to more advanced measures. Separate advice is included for residents of apartments and condominiums, who face a different set of risks than homeowners.
Part 1: Understanding the Problem
Break-ins are not just a night-time crime
Contrary to popular belief, most residential break-ins happen during the day, not overnight. The typical window is mid-morning to late afternoon, when residents are at work, at school, or out running errands, and when someone walking up to a front door does not look out of place.
Break-ins also tend to increase during periods when homes are more likely to be empty, such as summer vacation season and extended holiday absences.
Why this matters: alarms, lights, timers and alert neighbours are just as important during the day as they are at night. An alarm system that is only armed overnight is not protecting your home during the hours you are most likely to be targeted.
How intruders choose a target
Intruders look for two things: an easy way in, and a low chance of being seen.
Common entry points:
- Unlocked front, side or rear doors
- Patio and sliding doors that can be forced or lifted off their track
- Ground-floor and basement windows
- Garage doors, and the interior door connecting the garage to the home
- Unsecured second-floor windows and balconies reached with a ladder
Signs that suggest nobody is home
- Lights that stay off every evening
- Mail, flyers and packages accumulating
- Snow, leaves or lawn maintenance being neglected
- Garbage and recycling bins left at the curb for days
- No vehicle in the driveway for an extended period
- Social media posts announcing a vacation or trip
The doorbell test
Some intruders simply ring the doorbell or knock. If nobody answers, they may treat the property as an easy target. If someone does answer, they have a cover story ready. A video doorbell lets you respond as though you are home even when you are not, which defeats this tactic.
Hiding places and tools left outside
Overgrown hedges, tall shrubs and solid fences give intruders somewhere to work unseen. Ladders, tools, patio furniture and bins left in the open can be used to reach windows, balconies and flat roofs. Keep sightlines clear and store out of reach anything that could help someone break in.
Part 2: What You Can Do: A Checklist
The more of these you do, the less attractive your home becomes.
Level 1 — Free, and you can do it today
Lock up, consistently
- Lock doors and windows, even when you are home and even for short absences
- Lock patio and balcony doors, including on upper floors
- Keep the garage door closed and locked, and lock the door between the garage and the house
- Do not hide spare keys under mats, flowerpots, or fake rocks
- If you park your vehicle outside, keep its key fob in a Faraday pouch or bag when you are at home
- Don’t leave a garage remote in a vehicle parked in the driveway
Make your home look lived in
- Vary which lights are on in the evening; leave at least one on
- Wait until you are home before posting vacation photos
- Do not leave notes on the door indicating you are away
- Bring bins in promptly after collection
Improve visibility
- Trim hedges and shrubs near doors and windows
- Keep sightlines from the street and neighbouring homes clear
- Put away ladders, tools and anything that could be used to climb or pry
Know your neighbours
- Meet the people beside you, behind you, and across the street
- Exchange phone numbers with at least two trusted neighbours
- Start or join a street group chat (WhatsApp, Signal or similar) to flag suspicious activity quickly
- Learn the civic addresses of the homes that back onto your property, so you can give 9-1-1 an exact address if you see something suspicious in their back yard
Level 2 — Modest cost, big return
Lighting
- Install motion-activated lights at entrances, the driveway, side gates and the backyard
- Use timers or smart bulbs to turn interior lights on and off on a varied schedule when you are away
Cameras
- Install a video doorbell so you can see and speak to anyone at the door, from anywhere
- Add cameras covering the front entrance, driveway, side gate and rear entrance
- Make at least one camera clearly visible, because visible cameras deter while hidden cameras only document
Harden the entry points
- Install quality deadbolts on all exterior doors
- Reinforce door frames and replace short strike-plate screws with 75 mm (3-inch) screws
- Add a bar or dowel in the track of sliding patio doors, plus an anti-lift device
- Add a lock or brace to the garage door; disconnect the automatic opener when away for long periods
Record what you own
- Photograph valuables and record serial numbers and identifying marks
- Store the list somewhere other than the home such as cloud storage, or with family
- Keep passports, jewellery and cash in a bolted-down safe rather than a bedroom drawer
Level 3 — Advanced
- Install a monitored alarm system, and arm it during the day when the home is empty, not only at night
- Add door, window and glass-break sensors, not just a motion detector in the hallway
- Use a smart system that sends alerts to your phone and lets you view cameras and control lights remotely while travelling
- Consider impact-resistant security film on ground-floor and basement window glass
- Ensure your civic address number is clearly visible from the street, day and night
- Where practical, add a small address marker visible from the rear of the property, so backyard neighbours can give 9-1-1 an exact address
- Build a street-wide contact list and tell trusted neighbours when you will be away
Part 3: If You Live in an Apartment or Condominium
About half of Côte Saint-Luc residents live in apartments or condos. Many assume a locked lobby means they are protected. In practice, the risks are simply different.
Your unit
- Lock your unit door every time you leave, even to go to the laundry room, the mailbox or a neighbour’s unit down the hall
- Ask your landlord or syndicate whether the unit door has a deadbolt, and whether it can be upgraded
- Use the peephole or a video doorbell before opening the door
- Lock balcony and patio doors, as ground-floor, first-floor and balcony-accessible units are the most common targets
- Do not leave valuables, bikes or packages visible on the balcony
- Do not hide a key in your storage locker; lockers are a frequent target
- Photograph and record serial numbers for valuables, exactly as a homeowner would
The building
- Do not hold the front door open for people you do not recognize, and do not buzz in anyone you are not expecting, including delivery drivers claiming to be for another unit
- Report broken locks, propped doors, burnt-out lights, and broken garage-door mechanisms to management immediately, in writing
- Watch the indoor garage: the door often stays open long enough for a person to walk in behind a car. Report tailgating
- Keep storage lockers padlocked with a good-quality lock, and avoid storing anything valuable in them
If you sit on a board or syndicate, or want to ask your landlord
- Cameras covering the lobby, garage entrance, mail room, parcel area and storage locker corridors
- Working, well-lit stairwells, corridors, garages and parking areas
- Self-closing doors that latch fully, with regular checks
- A resident communication channel (email list, chat group, bulletin board) for reporting suspicious activity
Part 4: When You Are Away
- Ask a neighbour to collect mail, flyers and packages daily
- Arrange lawn care in summer and snow clearing in winter
- Put interior and exterior lights on varied timers
- Ask a neighbour to park in your driveway
- Tell two trusted neighbours you are away and give them a contact number
- Arm the alarm system
- Post your photos after you get back, not while you are gone
Part 5: Watch for Suspicious Activity
Call 9-1-1 immediately if you see:
- Someone trying to enter a home, unit or vehicle unlawfully
- A person looking through windows, checking door handles or trying balcony doors
- Someone moving around a property who does not appear to belong there
- Individuals posing as salespeople or service providers while behaving suspiciously
- Someone following a resident into a locked building or garage
- Any unusual activity at a neighbour’s home when you know they are away
Do not assume someone else has already called. Most of the time, nobody has.
If you think a break-in is happening right now
1. Call 9-1-1 immediately. Do not call Public Security first — let the 911 operator dispatch the right emergency services.
2. Be ready to give:
- The exact civic address (and unit number, if applicable)
- A description of the person or vehicle
- The direction of travel, if known
- Any other detail that could help responders
3. After calling 9-1-1, you may also contact the Côte Saint-Luc Public Security 24-hour line (514-485-6960) to report the incident or provide additional information.
If you come home and think someone has broken in:
- Do not go inside. The intruder may still be there.
- Go to a safe place, such as a neighbour’s home or your vehicle, and call 9-1-1.
- Do not touch anything or clean up until police have finished; you may destroy evidence.
- Report the break-in even if little or nothing was taken. Reported incidents shape where police patrol.
Summary
A safe neighbourhood depends on residents paying attention, communicating with one another, and reporting suspicious activity promptly. Most break-ins are crimes of opportunity. A home — house, condo or apartment — that looks occupied, well lit, properly secured and surrounded by alert neighbours is a home most intruders will pass by. You can help minimize the chance of burglary at your home by following the checklist presented above.