Winnipeg police are encouraging the public to be cautious with their garbage following Christmas to prevent home burglaries.

In a release, the Winnipeg Police Service says thieves could be casing out more than who is home and who is not as they drive through your neighbourhood and could be targeting for several weeks after the holidays.

When criminals see those boxes after Christmas that had big-screen TVs, computers, tablets, gaming consoles, they make a mental note to come back to that house at a later time.

The WPS has provided several tips to put in place around Christmas.

After you’ve opened the gifts:
Take a holiday inventory
The holidays are a good time to update or create your home inventory.

  • Take photos or make videos of items, and list descriptions and serial numbers. If your home is burglarized, having a detailed inventory can help identify stolen items and make insurance claims easier to file. Make sure things like TVs, stereo equipment, cameras, camcorders, sports equipment, jewelry, computers, home office equipment, and power tools are on the list. Remember to check it twice!

Burglars know that many households have new and oftentimes expensive, items in their homes following the December holidays. In too many cases, residents make it easy for burglars to figure out which homes to target by putting boxes that identify their new gifts in plain view with their other garbage. Avoid becoming an easy target for post-holiday burglars by not leaving boxes for new electronics and other items in the driveway or other garbage pick-up locations for several days at a time. 
Instead, consider these safety tips:

  • Break down any boxes you are throwing out and put them inside a recycling bin as close to the time of your garbage pick-up as possible. Think about keeping broken-down boxes inside — in a garage, for example — until the evening before your regular garbage pick-up. Some burglars actually look inside garbage cans for evidence of holiday gifts.
  • Take your holiday cardboard directly to the dump or recycling station, making sure that your address is not on any of the packaging.
  • Don’t share gift information online so that everyone knows what’s (new) in your home

And if you see something suspicious or if you see a crime in progress, call 911.