Officers recover stolen break-in items thanks to Community Partners, technology and quick reporting

Three residents sharing a home in downtown Ottawa have their belongings back, thanks to reporting a break-in to police immediately, giving officers a chance to get help from Community Partners to locate a suspect and a device-tracking mobile app to trace the stolen items.

On January 21, one of the home occupants heard noises of someone moving around in the house. Thinking it was a roommate, she didn’t investigate, only to discover a short time later, a break-in had occurred, and electronic devices and other personal items were missing.

She called police immediately. When Csts. Sam Raffa and Jimmy Fang arrived, they learned the stolen lap top could be traced through a tracking application.

The officers got some help from Ottawa Community Housing, enabling them to identify the suspect through security footage. Within a few short hours, a suspect was arrested and the stolen property recovered.

“Definitely the quick reporting made a difference in the outcome of this investigation. The suspect didn’t have time to do anything with the stolen items,” said Cst. Raffa.

“As police officers, we use whatever leads we can,” said Cst. Fung. “Even though in this case we could track the electronics, being able to get security footage from Community Housing was a big help in identifying our suspect and making an arrest."

Cst. Raffa and Cst. Fang offer these safety tips to reduce your chance of being a victim of a break-in:

• Lock your doors, even when you are home, to prevent crimes of opportunity
• Connect your devices to tracking apps
• Call police immediately if you see any suspicious activity in your neighbourhood or are the victim of a crime
• Never attempt to retrieve a stolen device on your own; call police
• If you live with roommates, establish a system to identify yourselves to each other when you come in or go out
• Avoid leaving valuables, including car keys, in plain sight near the entrance of your home.

For more home security tips, go to ottawapolice.ca.