Tim Collins
While Langford continues to be a comparatively safe place to live and work, some neighbourhoods within the city are at a loss for what to do about repeated break-ins and property thefts.
According to area-specific crimes reported to the police, the neighbourhoods most likely to be impacted by this type of activity are at the very heart of Langford, bounded by Leigh Road, Dunford Avenue, Veteran Memorial Parkway and the Trans-Canada Highway. The most vulnerable homes in this area are those comprising what some have called “old Langford” – the single-family residences that carry on while increasingly being surrounded by multi-storey apartments and condominiums.
That’s certainly been the experience of Gordon Campbell, whose home on Furber Road has been subject to multiple break-ins over the past decade.
“The first one we had was about ten years ago. The RCMP had been by and warned us that there were some people out there – they figured three to five men – that were targeting our neighbourhood for break-ins,” said Campbell. “Sure enough, in the middle of the night, we had our vehicle broken into and they took my wife’s sunglasses, and some change from the vehicle, but not much more.”
Campbell said that he had been awake when it happened and saw the break-in in progress.
“I ran out in my underwear and chased them away carrying a baseball bat,” he said. “They didn’t get much but you wouldn’t believe the damage they did to the car just to get that stuff.”
Since that time, Campbell has experienced several more thefts from his property, with the last occurrence coming about a month ago.
“The guy was in his early 20s and I scared him off and called the police, but I’m told that there’s not a lot they can do. I know that my neighbours have had the same experience,” Campbell said.
Cpl. Nancy Saggar of the Westshore RCMP confirmed that the type of crime afflicting Campbell and his neighbours can be frustrating.
“This type of crime is fast and it’s mischief. Damage is done and items are stolen but there’s not much left at the scene to examine,” said Saggar. “It all comes down to evidence. Without video footage, it’s very hard to make an arrest.”
With that in mind, Saggar suggests the installation of home security cameras at the home.
“With video, we’ve had some very good success, particularly if the person doing the crime is a prolific offender,” Saggar said.
Instead of CCTV installation, Saggar offered some other advice.
“If you see the offender, make notes on a good description – their age, what they’re wearing, height, weight, complexion – all of that helps,” said Saggar.
“I’d also suggest installing exterior motion sensor lights. We see those work all the time.”
Saggar made a point of saying that it’s a very bad idea to engage with a thief directly. While that tends to be a natural reaction, it can be extremely dangerous.
“Prevention is a much better solution. Lock your car and remove all valuables. Install lights and if you know that parcels are being delivered, try to get them secured as quickly as possible. This time of year, especially. ‘Porch pirates’ can be a real problem.”
With all of that in mind, it should be noted that Langford was the only West Shore jurisdiction to experience a decline in its overall crime severity index (CSI) in recent years, according to Statistics Canada (down to 56.72 in 2022 from 61.62 in 2020).
The crime severity index assigns a weight to all crimes based on their seriousness – which is judged in terms of the sentences handed down by the courts in all provinces and territories, according to the National Statistics Agency. More serious crimes are given higher weights, and less serious offences lower weights. Nationally, the average overall crime severity index is 73.7.
In comparison, the City of Victoria topped the CSI list with a score of 148.43.
“The statistics don’t mean much when it’s you who is being robbed,” said Campbell. “I’m sure that it’s not as big a problem if you live in one of these high rises with security doors and everything, but for those of us still in our own homes in the middle of Langford it’s more of an issue.”
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