Three people have been charged in connection with a spike in property crime in Tecumseh and Lakeshore.
Provincial police said they received an increased number of calls this summer concerning break-and-enters, vehicle theft, theft from vehicles, and property mischief in those two municipalities.
Officers teamed up with the Community Street Crime Unit to identify three suspects, and police believe there may be more.
All three suspects are charged with theft from a motor vehicle under $5,000. In addition, a 47-year-old Windsor woman is accused of credit card fraud, possession of break-in instruments, possession of property obtained by crime over and under $5,000, and failure to comply with an undertaking.
A 37-year-old Lakeshore man is charged with credit card fraud, possession of break-in instruments, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, and failure to comply with an undertaking. A 31-year-old Windsor man is charged with possession of over 30 grams of a Schedule II substance, two counts of possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000 and trespassing.
Police said this is a good time to remind people of their Lock It Or Lose It campaign, and encourage residents to make sure their homes and vehicles are secured.
"It's unfortunate that our communities continue to remain vulnerable to the criminal intent of certain individuals that look for crimes of opportunity," said OPP Essex County Detachment Commander Glenn Miller. "An unlocked vehicle can lead very quickly to a garage door being opened and a residence or business being entered. It takes considerable resources to investigate these property crimes however it can only take an instant of your time to prevent a crime by properly locking your vehicles and homes."
