The streets of Burnaby are pretty empty these days.
Some business districts are bereft of any walking traffic because so many of the shops are closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the call to flatten the curve by keeping people at home.
In some areas, such as Burnaby Heights and the North Road business districts, the only shops that are open are restaurants doing take-out-only service.
That lack of walking traffic and businesses being closed makes them vulnerable to criminals. Business owners aren’t on site and there are few people around to report crimes in progress.
In response, the Burnaby RCMP tweeted out photos of members of its Community Response Team on patrol to try and prevent these empty businesses from being targeted by criminals. These patrols have been increased in recent days.
“We understand that this is a tough time for businesses in our community - while you’re away, our Community Response Team has been stepping up proactive evening & night patrols to help keep your business safe,” read a tweet.
The business district that suffers the most break-ins by far in the City of Burnaby is in the Metrotown area along Kingsway.
See the attached heat map to show the crime hotspots in Burnaby on a monthly basis.