If something seems out of place in your Barrie neighbourhood, police say you don't have to figure out whether a crime is actually taking place before picking up the phone.
That could mean noticing a vehicle slowly driving through your street several nights in a row, someone walking around a neighbour's property, or a person appearing to check car doors.
It could also simply be something that makes you stop and think, "That's odd."
Barrie Police say residents sometimes hesitate to report those kinds of observations because they don't want to waste police resources or assume something innocent is actually suspicious.
But police say reporting unusual activity isn't the same as accusing someone of a crime. You're simply passing along what you've seen.
There may be a perfectly innocent explanation. That's okay, police say. The information could still help officers respond to a situation, prevent a crime or connect an occurrence with something else happening in the community.
Police also stress that residents should not put themselves at risk to get more information.
Don't approach someone, follow a vehicle or try to intervene. If it's safe to do so, try to remember details such as the location, time, description of a person or vehicle and licence plate information.
The message from police is simple: you don't have to determine whether a crime has occurred. Tell police what you saw and let them decide what to do with the information.
Suspicious activity can be reported to the Barrie Police Service non-emergency line at 705-725-7025.
If something has already happened — including theft, vehicle damage, vandalism, fraud, lost property, a traffic violation or trespassing — police say residents can also use the online reporting system: www.barriepolice.ca/services/online-reporting/(opens in new tab).
Police emphasize that if someone is in danger, if there is an emergency, or if a crime is in progress, don’t hesitate, call 911 immediately.
