West Vancouver Police are telling homeowners to look up – way, way up to the second floors of their own homes – after criminals played a game of thieves and ladders in five recent residential break-ins.
In January, thieves used ladders to gain access to second-floor windows to break in to five homes in the British Properties.
Once inside, the culprits typically targeted the master bedroom, where they made off with cash, jewelry and designer clothing and shoes, said Const. Jeff Palmer, spokesman for the West Vancouver Police Department.
Palmer said it’s important for homeowners to check that all doors and windows are secure – not just those on the ground floor. “Don’t assume that only ground-level entries are going to be targeted, he said.
Homeowners should also not leave ladders on their property unsecured. “You’re giving someone an open invitation,” he said.
Palmer noted a similar rash of second-floor break-ins in which thieves used ladders to gain access to homes happened in April in West Vancouver.
