EAST HANTS: RCMP in East Hants have some tips to keep your home heating oil safe from would be thieves.
East Hants RCMP Const. Preston Burns sent the following Public Service Announcement and tips to The Laker News to send out to the community:
With the ever increasing cost of living, thieves see theft of home heating oil as a crime of opportunity and/or necessity.
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The East Hants RCMP want to share with you a few simple precautions that you can take to protect your oil:
- Lock any gates that gain access to your tank and make sure they’re in good repair.
- Create obstacles such as leaving potted plants and other general yard items in the path to your tank. They will make noise and waste time for someone trying to get to it.
- Consider limiting the amount of oil you have in your tank. A thief will see a full tank as a better target.
- Lock your tank with a padlock and fit hardened flexible casings around exposed fuel lines to make them harder to cut.
- An oil level gauge can be installed to alert you if the oil level in your tank drops abruptly.
- Consider installing security cameras on your property not only to protect your heating oil but to protect other property. Cameras have come down in price significantly over the past couple of years and are usually easy for a homeowner to install on their own.
- Install security lighting. Motion lights will not only warn you that someone is on your property, but will also alert neighbours and more often than not, chase thieves away.
- Ensure that your tank is located in a location that is visible from your house but not from the road.
Report any suspicious vehicles or behaviour to the police.
