London police are reminding students in off-campus housing to lock or secure their windows after a spike in break-ins.
According to police, since September, there have been 13 break-ins in the north end of the city “at residences known to be off-campus student housing.”
Most cases involved suspects entering through an unlocked or unsecured window, police say.
“Opportunistic thieves will watch residences for people leaving, and then break into the home through the easiest point of entry,” police said in a release on Monday.
According to a heat map shared by police, the majority of the break and enters appear to have occurred southeast of Western University, in the Woodfield and Old East Village neighbourhoods, and near Fanshawe College.
Police are offering tips to residents to help secure their homes:
- keep doors and windows locked at all times
- remain vigilant of your surroundings
- if possible, install:
- sticks in the window tracks
- contact alarms
- exterior lighting
- functional security cameras
The crime analysis unit detected the spike in cases using “analytical software purchased using a grant from the Ministry of the Solicitor General.”
Police did not provide any information on the number of goods taken, nor did police provide information about any suspect or suspects.