‘It’s crazy’: Recent rash of car break-ins has Halifax-area neighourhood upset

A neighbourhood in the Halifax area is getting increasingly concerned over a recent flurry of car break-ins.

A number of Bedford residents are noticing people attempting to break into their vehicles overnight, and some even have the surveillance footage to prove it.

A video shared with Global News by resident Leo Li shows a person snooping around his residence, checking to see if the parked cars were open.

Li said he recently woke up to find surveillance footage of someone trying to open his Honda CRV at 3:48 in the morning. Moments later, another person can be seen trying to open his 2018 Chevrolet.

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“I was really shocked,” he said, adding that he worries for the safety of his family, especially his elementary school-aged son. “It’s crazy.”

Li isn’t the only one dealing with this issue. In the Facebook group “Talk Bedford,” another resident posted about their car being broken into. The post received more that 70 comments, most of whom said they were also victims of theft.

Just five minutes down the road from Li, in the Capstone Crescent area, another surveillance video provided to Global News shows an individual checking for unlocked cars at 2:20 a.m. early Sunday morning.

Residents in that neighbourhood declined an on-camera interview, but said the break-ins have been happening for a while.

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In a statement, RCMP spokesperson Brianna LeBlanc said these crimes can be prevented by “identifying risks and removing opportunities for thieves.”

She suggests never leaving car keys unguarded, removing valuables from your vehicle or storing them in your trunk and out of plain view. She also said incidents should be reported to police.

But Li says he did just that.

“Police didn’t take action,” he said. “Maybe next time they will come again and try to break into the house. That’s the concern I have.”

— with files from Alex Cooke