We welcome a guest columnist for this edition of Cop’s Corner.

Hello! My name is Constable Christopher Lucas. Currently, I’m working as a Community Liaison Constable (CLC) in District One Downtown. This area encompasses 97 Street to Wayne Gretzky, and Yellowhead trail to 111 Avenue.

I currently have four years with the Edmonton Police Service (EPS), with half of that time working in District One as the CLC. During this time I have noticed two particular trends that have come up often, which I would like to address.

The first is people leaving their vehicles running and unlocked. Every morning I read through the calls to service in District One and view the crime trends. On any given day, about 25 percent of all theft of vehicles and theft from vehicles are caused by drivers leaving their vehicles unlocked, or even worse, unlocked with the keys in the ignition.

I cannot stress enough how important it is for everyone to lock your doors and take the keys with you. Even though this seems like common sense, thefts caused by not doing these things still happen on a daily basis.

The second thing I would like to talk about is people leaving their children abandoned in their vehicles. Over this past summer the EPS received far too many calls from concerned citizens who observed children unattended.

As I get asked this question all the time (“Is it reasonable to leave my child in the car alone if I just go . . .”) the rule of thumb that I like to use is this: NEVER leave your child alone in the car. It is always better to take the extra time and bring your children with you.

Even though it may not seem like a big deal, so many things can go wrong when children are left alone in vehicles. In addition to the safety of the children (which is paramount), you can be charged criminally under section 218 of the Criminal Code by the police should you abandon your child (under the age of 10) in the vehicle.

The purpose of my article today is not to scare or threaten anyone, but rather to educate and clear the air. My hope moving forward is that the citizens of Edmonton will make these small changes which will help decrease in vehicle crimes, and increase the safety of our children.

Be safe, and look after each other.