By Staff
August 10th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton Regional Police are investigating a series of theft from autos that have occurred throughout the City of Burlington overnight between the 8th and 9th of August 2018.
Police received ten reports regarding vehicles being broken into by unknown culprit(s) who gained entry by breaking a window. Once inside the vehicle, the unknown culprit(s) rummaged through the vehicles and proceeded to steal wallets, electronics, personal identification and money.
Theft from autos continues to be a concern in Burlington and police would like to remind the public to ensure their vehicles are locked and avoid leaving valuables inside and/or in plain view.
Police also encourage citizens to report any suspicious persons.
Streets targeted were:
• Headon Forest Drive
• Syscon Road
• Cleaver Avenue
• Falconcrest Drive
Police are reminding the public of the following prevention tips:
• Ensure your unattended vehicle(s) are kept locked/secure
• Never leave personal identification or valuables in your vehicle
• Park in a well-lit and attended areas whenever possible
• Never leave spare keys in your vehicle
• If you have to leave valuables in your vehicle, lock them in your trunk. Don’t tempt thieves by leaving packages or purses in plain view or on the seat.
• Remove garage door openers, GPS navigation and cell phone devices & power cords from view when not in your vehicle
• REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY TO POLICE IMMEDIATELY
Community safety is a shared responsibility. If you see suspicious activity in your neighbourhood, please report it immediately.
What I don’t see referenced in this article are measures Halton Regional Police Services are taking to combat the problem.
Clearly, there are enough incidents to suggest these are not purely random events, and it doesn’t appear they are being committed by bored 16 year olds with nothing to do. So, besides passing the buck and imploring residents to take precautions and call police if they see something suspicious….what is the strategy to thwart auto theft? Are they using decoy units? Are they using foot patrols? Are they using mobile CCTVs?
Let’s hear some answers please….and spare us the homilies about “shared responsibility”. We get enough sermons from the City of Burlington. We don’t need them from our police.
There’s not much point in having an electric garage door opener with remote control anymore… it’s equivalent to leaving a house key in the car.
Eight Cars Broken Into in Burlington on November 15, 2017, (a 187% spike in thefts from vehicles over summer 2016.)
A number of thefts from vehicles at Mapleview Centre on Jan. 4, 2018
On May 2nd & 3rd several vehicles were entered in the Seneca Ave. area of Burlington.
Two suspects are believed to be responsible for further car entries on May 18th in Burlington .
June 14 ,Halton Police are investigating more car break-ins in Burlington
At least 15 vehicles broken into in northeast Burlington early on Wednesday, July 11.
A further eight vehicle entries were reported Monday, July 16 in the Hwy. 407 and Brant Street
At least 7 vehicle break-ins reported Tuesday, July 17 in the Dundas and Brant streets area
Halton police investigating following a break-in and vehicle theft at a home on Norfolk Drive, which occurred Thursday, Aug. 9 2018
In addition to stealing pocket change these vandals are doing thousands of dollars in vehicle damage and insurance will only pay after the deductible. It would be interesting to know if there is a pattern here and is there any reason to expect it will stop?
Meanwhile police remind citizens to please report suspicious activity immediately.