One person was arrested in connection with a series of Pointe-Claire home break-ins, said Montreal police at a public meeting Wednesday night.
The arrest was made Wednesday morning.
In spite of the breakthrough there is still plenty of work to do, they told close to a hundred residents who attended the meeting.
According to police, 17 break ins have been reported in the small Cedar Park area in Pointe-Claire this year alone.
That’s up from five in 2015.
The months of September, October and November saw a spike in incidents.
Since November, police say they have deployed extra police cars in the area, including officers posing as civilians.
As a result, they say they haven’t had any more reports since November 12 and several suspects have been identified.
In an effort to prevent more break-ins, they have fast-tracked the analysis of several pieces of evidence left behind in the crime scenes, such as a fingerprint and a blood drop.
A special investigator has been appointed to the cases to try and determine if there is a pattern in the way thieves operate.
Police mentioned thieves are taking mostly jewelry and money, however, they had also been taking bigger items such as television sets, furniture and in one case, even Christmas gifts.
Thieves generally broke windows and forced doors to get into the homes.
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Possible techniques robbers are using
A couple of people at the meeting described how they were getting phone calls from an unknown number.
As they picked up, they would only hear breathing on the other side.
Pointe-Claire resident Corinne Williams was one of them.
Five of her neighbours have been robbed in the past month.
“It’s unnerving,” Williams said.
“Take my home, take my piece of jewelry, but what if I have my kids sleeping there?”
Police said the phone calls might be a way for thieves to find out if there are people in the house.
A couple described how they came home to find a “For Sale” sign planted in their yard.
Police also say that could be another technique to determine the level of activity in a house.
For example, if the sign is still there after a few days, it might mean there is no one at the house.
Another Cedar Park resident who didn’t wish to be named told police how she was robbed in November.
She had taken a cab to the airport at 4:20 a.m., she said she was robbed later that morning, leading her to suspect the driver could have been involved.
Police Advice
While the investigation is ongoing, police provided people with advice on how to protect themselves.
-Lock your homes
This might sound like an obvious one but police pointed out several of the homes that were robbed were not locked.
-Make sure your address is visible from the back of your home.
If your neighbours see any unusual activity, they can easily report it to the police.
-If you’re getting suspicious calls from an unknown number, dial *57
Doing this will record the number that called. You won’t be able to see it, but police will. Call police immediately after.
-Call the police station and your city’s public security when you’re going away on vacation
They should be the ones to know what dates you will be away. Knowing that, they will send a patrol to check on your home.
This is Pointe-Claire’s public security number: 514-630-1234 (24 hours).
-Do not post your vacation plans on Facebook
Police advice to post pictures only when you are back from your trip.
-Fix your home’s weaknesses
Make sure to eliminate any dark corners or bushes where someone could hide and watch you.
Installing light movement detectors help.
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