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A surge in personal property thefts, including bikes, phones, and money, have affected the community in recent months, with police reporting a nearly 40 per cent increase in cases.
“So if you look at the year over year data, we are seeing an increase compared to this time of year last year in 23. If you look at the math, we're showing about a 36 per increase in theft under 5000 and theft over 5000 is relatively stable,” said interim chief Warren Morrical.
He noted that this is a significant increase in these types of crimes, reminding the public to take precautions to keep their items safe.
“We've had a number of bicycle thefts, for example, in the last several months using locks or anti-theft devices on your bikes, certainly a good idea and just being aware of the potential for what we'll call crimes of opportunity when you leave your property unattended.”
He added that securing your vehicles, garages residences and outbuildings are all good ways to protect against thefts.