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Break-ins in London are up a whopping 25% this year, a spike so sharp one house built for a needy family has been hit three times.
Not even the big Habitat for Humanity sign outside the house - an obvious indicator of a lower-income family - deterred the thieves, who hit the nearly-finished bungalow on Huron St. and a nearby tool shed three times in two months.
They stole a generator, space heaters and even the tools volunteers were using to build the home for the family.
The ripped-off goods cost $2,500 to replace, said Jeff Duncan, chief executive of Habitat's London chapter.
"It just gets under my skin because it takes us away from what we should be doing - building a home," Duncan said. "As a community, we can't put up with this."
So far this year there have been 2,141 break-ins in London, up from 1,717 over the same period last year.
The figures cover all burglaries, from residential to business and construction sites.
Why the numbers are up so sharply, police can't explain. Still, they say too many people are making it easy for thieves.
Last month, police issued a special warning to students living near the University of Western Ontario and Fanshawe College after burglars hit 100 homes in a single week in the two student-populated areas.
Student dwellings are often targeted because of lax security and a the prescence of electronics, police say.
"They typically have their door and windows open or unlocked. It provides a crime of opportunity for thieves," said Const. Dennis Rivest.
Computers, TVs, cameras and jewelry are the items of choice because they can be quickly turned into cash, Rivest said.
While break-ins are up this year, the police clearance rate for the intrusions remains on par with 2010.
So far this year, 31% of break-ins have been solved, down slightly from 32% the previous year.
Rivest recommends writing down the serial numbers of your valuables. "It makes it easier (for police) to track those items down," he said. Police say break-ins occur at all hours of the day, when homeowners are away and at home.
And it's not just homes that are getting hit.
Businesses and construction sites are often a favoured target because thieves know nobody is there at night.
To combat construction site thefts, many builders won't leave materials at worksites overnight, said Lois Langdon of the London Home Builders' Association.
Instead, they install the materials the day they're delivered, she said.
Duncan, meanwhile, is fuming about the break-in at the Habitat site.
"We just are able to raise enough (money) to do the project itself, so that means this is coming out of our operation somewhere else."
by Dale Carruthers, The London Free Press
http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2011/11/01/18909426.html