Highlights

• According to the 2004 GSS, many Canadians employ routine precautionary measures to protect themselves and their property from crime. Nearly six in ten Canadians regularly locked car doors for safety when alone in the car; and four in ten routinely planned their route with safety in mind or checked the back seat for intruders when returning to the car alone.

• Throughout their lifetime, a sizeable number of Canadians will also take protective measures to guard themselves and their property from crime. About one third of Canadians reported that at some point during their lifetime they have changed their routine or avoided certain places (35%); installed burglar alarms or motion detectors (34%); and installed new locks or security bars (31%) as a means of crime prevention.

• Women were more likely than men to report employing protective measures during their lifetime and, in particular, were more likely than men to routinely take precautionary measures against criminal victimization. For example, women were five times more likely than men to stay home at night for fear of going out alone and were about twice as likely to check for intruders when returning to their car alone.

• In general, individuals who had been the victims of crime in the 12 months preceding the 2004 GSS were more likely than those not so victimized to have employed crime prevention measures. Furthermore, the use of crime prevention techniques increased with the number of victimizations.

• Higher levels of education and personal income were also among the personal characteristics associated with the use of crime prevention measures.

• Usage of crime prevention strategies was generally, more common among urban-dwellers than among those living in rural areas. However, rural residents were more likely to have ever obtained a dog or a gun to protect themselves or their property from crime.

• Individuals who believed that crime in their neighbourhood had increased in the past five years; those who felt crime in their neighbourhood was higher relative to other areas in Canada; and those who indicated that socially disruptive conditions were characteristic of their neighbourhood were more likely to employ crime prevention measures compared to those who did not report these perceptions.