Guelph Police say there’s been an increase in property crimes and are cautioning the public to keep their homes and vehicles safe.
An elderly couple recently fell victim to this when their Arthur Street South house was broken into.
The Rogers say they’ve lived in their home for 60 years and never experienced anything like this.
“We walked in the front door and everything we owned was plastered all over the floor,” said Wylda Rogers.
Wylda and her husband Vern were in Florida just last week and came home to find nearly every room cleaned out. This included their safe.
The couple believes whoever did it broke through the backdoor, only accessible from the backyard.
A wedding band, jewelry, and money were the most valuable items that the Rogers say were stolen from them.
Guelph Police say the usual suspects are typically addicted to crystal meth or opioids and stealing items for quick cash.
“In the last few years we’ve seen an increase in drug-related property crime,” said Constable Trevor Byard.
The Break and Enter and Auto Theft Team was created in January. Guelph Police say they’ve seen results.
“We’ve executed a number of search warrants and we’ve seized a large amount of stolen property,” said Byard. “A lot of which we’ve returned to owners.”
Police say the incident with the Rogers is still under investigation.
“There’s been people prowling through the yards here and there,” said neighbour Vinnie Klimkosz. “Neighbours keep an eye here the best they can.”
Klimkosz says his shed has been broken into before.
The Rogers continue to clean up and are left looking for answers.
“We’d sure like to know who did it,” said Wylda. “But we’ll probably never find out.”
Police are reminding the public to keep valuables locked and out of sight in vehicles and to report any suspicious activity in their neighbourhoods.
