Some residents in Waterloo were surprised this week when police officers visited their homes not in response to an emergency but to offer advice on preventing crime. The Waterloo Regional Police Service officers spent two days visiting apartment buildings near the city’s universities to address a recent increase in property thefts.
Sgt. Jo Wilson from the crime suppression unit highlighted that the majority of thefts involved vehicles in underground parking areas. Wilson emphasized the importance of residents taking simple steps to safeguard their property to prevent such incidents.
The police officers visited various buildings located on Commercial Street, King Street, and Albert Street during their campaign. Residents, like Sitraa Krishna Kumar, shared personal experiences of vehicle break-ins, with Kumar mentioning that thefts have become so common that residents in her building have created a group chat to share photos of damaged cars.
Another resident, Romane Kerr, also shared his experience with car break-ins in the area, noting that forgetfulness in locking car doors often leads to such crimes of opportunity. Wilson also highlighted the issue of “piggybacking,” where individuals attempt to gain unauthorized entry into apartment buildings, particularly into underground parking lots.
To enhance community safety, police provided residents with information cards containing safety tips, such as locking vehicle doors, reporting suspicious behavior promptly, and being cautious about letting unknown individuals into buildings. Additionally, the cards introduced the police’s CAMsafe program, an online registry for residents and businesses to register security camera locations to aid police investigations.
King emphasized the importance of community support in ensuring a safe environment and expressed hope that the campaign would encourage more residents to collaborate with the police in crime prevention efforts.