LONDON, Ont. -- London police are defending their decision not to notify students living near the Western University campus of numerous reports of break-ins now linked to a voyeurism investigation.
Deputy Chief Brent Shea says police were informed of a string of break-ins but at the time didn't have any evidence they were connected to any acts of voyeurism.
Some students at the university say police should have issued an alert warning residents about the incidents, which occurred between June and August.
Shea says investigators began monitoring several persons of interest as a result of the reports, leading to the arrest of a 47-year-old man late last month.
Bradley Priestap is charged with 10 counts of trespassing at night, and counts of voyeurism, criminal harassment, possession of break-and-enter tools and break-and-enter to commit voyeurism.
Shea says the trespassing charges were laid against Priestap after a police surveillance team saw a man peering into windows of campus-area homes on a single night in September.
Priestap is in custody pending a bail hearing.
The deputy chief says the remaining seven charges were laid after police obtained new information following Priestap's arrest.
Police say they are continuing to investigate 11 summer break-and-enters, and other persons of interest.
