At this time of year, several Criminal Code sections feature more prominently on court dockets. Among these are 334 (theft), 348 (break and enter), 266 (assault), 253 (drunk driving) and 380 (fraud).
It is easy to intuit why this might be. Theft, of course, is largely driven by desire to have something one cannot afford. During the holidays, that pressure increases. Also, the stores are busy providing cover for nefarious activity.
Many people travel around Christmas and New Year鈥檚 providing fertile ground for break and enter artists. Usually homes are also chock full of goodies, such as alcohol and presents, that make attractive targets.
Assaults go up because alcohol consumption peaks during the season. Add holiday stress and it鈥檚 a combustive combination.
Same holds for drunk driving. Not only do people drink more, but they go out more to holiday parties etc.
As for fraud, scammers know people are spending a lot of money and looking for good deals this month meaning there鈥檚 more available to bilk people out of and consumers may be letting their guard down. People are also feeling more generous around Christmas, a boon for con artists running charity scams.
The RCMP offers the following tips to help people avoid becoming victims of crimes or winding up on the wrong side of a set of handcuffs themselves.
Do not leave valuables and Christmas presents visible in your vehicle even if it is locked. Millions of dollars worth of merchandise is lost every year, not to mention the insurance costs of damage to windows and doors.
Keep your driveways and walkways clear. If you go away, arrange for a neighbour to do it for you and pick up your mail. Put lights on a timer.
When clearing away gift boxes and the like, break down the cardboard and bind it to hide the nature of the contents.
Arrange for a safe ride home before going out partying. If you find you have unintentionally had too much, take a cab home.
For hosts of parties, serve food, particularly proteins and fats, Make sure you have plenty of non-alcoholic options for people to choose from.
If you are shopping online, make sure the websites you are using are legitimate. Remember, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Beware phony charities. Legitimate charities provide proper identification for their volunteers. A representative of a real charity will not pressure you for donations and should have no problem providing you with official documentation or allowing you time to check up on them.
Be aware of your situation, if people are getting drunk and rowdy, it might be time to gracefully bow out.
Be responsible with your children. Parents can be held responsible when underage drinking leads to hazardous or illegal situations.
It does not need to be onerous or detract from having fun to keep these simple things in mind while enjoying the holidays.
