Residents stepping up home security in Waterloo Region

In a push to make their homes more secure, a local home surveillance company says more residents are installing security cameras on their properties.

Waterloo Regional Police Services said 568 residential break and enters were reported so far this year, while Guelph Police have 130 on record.

Both police forces say the figures are noticeable drop-offs from the year before, but Excellence Security Inc. owner Jon Kuiper says that’s not stopping residents from taking added precautions.

“We’ve seen a large increase in demand,” Kuiper told CTV News.

Kuiper says his company installs cameras at five to 20 homes per week.

“It depends on the client’s needs and the scale of the systems we’re going to do,” Keiper said. “There’s many layers you have to build to make a real secure property.”

Guelph Police says just the sight of cameras on your property could be enough to turn trespassers away.

“The thought that people would be captured on camera doing these break and enters may cause them to think twice about that particular property,” said Scott Tracey with the Guelph Police Service. “I do think there’s a deterrent effect of having a visible camera.”

The Guelph Police Service started a voluntary surveillance camera registry that homeowners can join. More than 200 homes are currently on the list, potentially giving investigators a head start.

“[We] call that person up and say, ‘Hey we’re investigating this type of occurrence. It happened close to your house. Any chance that you have any footage?’” Tracey said. “Then it would be up to the person at that point whether or not to share.”

Kuiper says one of the best things these systems offer homeowners is peace of mind.

“Make sure that those guys don’t target your place,” Kuiper said. “Maybe they’ll go somewhere easier.”