The Brockville Police Service discovered an alarming number of residential break and enters that began mid-summer. In most of these incidents, the home owners slept while the culprits entered their residence and stole various items. More than twenty (20) homes had property removed. Recently, a stolen camera was sold at a local pawn shop, giving the case its first break.
On October 5th in the early evening hours, members of the Brockville Police Service Emergency Response Team and our Intelligence Office, executed two search warrants on apartments in the north end of the city. Officers recovered stolen property from a majority of the victims as well as items with no complainant as of the time of this report.
Police arrested two males and a female, all local, who had different levels of involvement. The first male, 20 years of age, has been charged with 3 counts of break and enter, 7 counts of possession of stolen property and theft. The second male, also 20 years of age, has been charged with possession of stolen property and theft in relation to an incident reported to the Leeds OPP. The female, 22 years of age, was charged with 8 counts of possession of stolen property. All three parties originally appeared in bail court but have since been released on numerous conditions.
Most of the property recovered was returned to the victims. Police still have several sets of keys outstanding along with a purse.
The accused parties did not target individual people. They wandered different areas of the city and took advantage of any opportunities presented by way of an insecure window or door that allowed easy access. We believe other citizens may have been victims but have not contacted Police. If you feel your home or vehicle was entered, please contact us. It helps establish crime patterns or tie suspects to minor thefts that lead to bigger crimes. When following up these crimes with the home owners, there was an extensive feeling of victimization. Some residents reported an inability to sleep, a major violation of their safety and privacy, all secondary to stolen possessions. Officers are now gathering information from residents on the impact these events have had on their lives.
Lastly, we have to try and remove the opportunities these offenders seek. Insecure homes and vehicles need to be locked up. Do not leave valuables in your vehicle. Leaving patio doors and windows open, cars unlocked, provides easy access for these criminals. A lot of effort, time and co-operation was required to identify the responsible culprits and then follow up with recovered property and connect with the victims. Thanks to the Officers involved and the community at large for stopping these individuals.