Vehicle thefts rise, police offer reminders

Traffic

Caledon OPP officers responded to 35 property damage motor vehicle collisions and three personal injury collisions during the week of Oct. 29 to Nov. 5.

OPP laid eight charges under Section 172(1) of the Highway Traffic Act (street racing).

Three Caledon men were charged that week - a 21- year-old Oct. 29 on Regional Road 50 and Columbia Way; an 18-year-old Oct. 31 on Mount Hope and Columbia Way, and a 39-year-old Oct. 31 on Charleston Sideroad and Airport Road.

Alcohol & Driving

Monday, Oct. 29, a vehicle stop for traffic enforcement on King Street near Centreville Creek Road resulted in charges for the driver. Helen O'Neill, 40, of Brampton, was charged with Impaired Driving, Drive Motor Vehicle-Over 80 mgs. Of Alcohol in 100 mls. of Blood and Obstruct Police. She will appear in court Dec. 6.

Tuesday, Oct. 30, Linda Gohren, 41, of Caledon, was charged following her involvement in a motor vehicle collision at the intersection of Regional Road 50 and Cross Country Boulevard. She will appear in court Dec. 6, charged with Impaired Driving, Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle and Failure to Provide Breath Sample.

Thursday, Nov. 1, the driver of a vehicle has been charged after police responded to a call of a vehicle in the ditch on McLaughlin Road, north of Olde Base Line Road in Caledon. Krzysztof Romanowski, 48, of Brampton, was charged with Impaired Driving, Drive Motor Vehicle-Over 80 mgs. Of Alcohol in 100 mls. of Blood and Careless Driving. He was given a court date of Dec. 13.

Saturday, Nov. 3, a vehicle stop for a Highway Traffic Act offence on Olde Base Line Road near Kennedy Road resulted in a criminal charge for the driver. Reginald Crewe, 57, of Mississauga, was charged with Drive Motor Vehicle- Over 80 mgs. Of Alcohol in 100 mls. of Blood. Court date was set for Dec. 20.

Break & Enter

Tuesday, Oct. 30, a home on King Street that is currently vacant was entered sometime over the previous week. A door lock was broken to gain access. Damages were caused to the interior drywall and plumbing. Tools and wiring were also stolen.

Sunday, Nov. 4, two youth were charged with Break & Enter after entering a school on Allan Drive in Bolton through a window during the night hours. A 15- year-old male and a 17-yearold male, both residents of Bolton, will appear in court Dec. 3.

Another school on Ellwood Drive in Bolton was also entered that same night. The youth involved cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Mischief

Tuesday, Oct. 30 a vehicle was egged while parked in a driveway on Loontail Street in Bolton.

Thursday, Nov. 1, a house and vehicle on Royal Valley Drive in Mayfield were egged.

Saturday, Nov. 3, a home on DeRose Avenue in Bolton was damaged by eggs.

Saturday, Nov. 3, Caledon OPP responded to a call of youth fighting at a plaza located on Queen Street in Bolton. Nine youth were located and given police warnings for their behaviour. Two 17-year-old Brampton youths were charged under the Liquor License Act for possession of alcohol under legal age.

Stolen, Recovered

Vehicles

Tuesday, Oct. 30, sometime over the previous two days, a home-made trailer loaded with gravel was stolen from a Patterson Sideroad property in Caledon.

Friday, Nov. 2, two pickup trucks that had been reported stolen from the South Simcoe area were located abandoned on Duffy's Lane in Caledon. Damage had been caused to both vehicle door handles and ignition cylinders.

Thefts from Vehicles

Items stolen from parked vehicles continue to be a concern particularly in the Bolton area. A study of occurrences shows numerous incidents of thefts from vehicles reported to police during the two-month period of September and October 2007. There have also been three separate incidents of the pickup trucks being stolen from driveways or parking lots.

Protect your property and prevent theft. Tips to remember:

- Always roll up your vehicle's windows, lock the doors.

- If you have a garage, use it to secure your vehicle - locking the car and the garage door.

- Never leave valuables in your vehicle while unattended, even for just a few moments.

- Never leave your vehicle running while unattended.

- Keep your car keys in a secure location inside your home when not in use.

- Consider adding motion-activated lights to the outside of your home that activate when there is activity on the driveway.

Be aware of suspicious persons and vehicles in your neighbourhood and report suspicious activities to police, including licence plate information and suspect description immediately.

Crime in progress, call 9- 1-1. For non-emergency police assistance, call OPP dispatch, 1-888-310-1122. For tips and information, you can also call Crime Stoppers, 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). For more information locally, contact Detective Constable Ron Szigeti at Caledon OPP Crime Unit, 905-927-3041.

Theft Thursday, Oct. 18, a vehicle parked on Emily Carr Crescent in Bolton was entered during the night hours. A wallet and other valuables left in the van were not stolen, however, two credit cards within the wallet were. Large purchases were made in the Mississauga area later that same day.

Thursday, Oct. 18, a vehicle left parked at a Country Stroll Crescent address in Bolton was entered during the night hours causing damage to the driver side door. Items reported stolen included several CDs, a GPS and an iPod.

Thursday, Oct. 18, a vehicle left unlocked on Willow Street in Bolton was entered during the evening hours. A jacket and wallet containing personal papers were reported stolen.

Thursday, Oct. 18, a vehicle that had been locked was entered by prying open the handle on the driver's side. The vehicle, which was parked at a Flintwood Drive residence in Bolton, was entered and small change was stolen.

Tuesday, Oct. 2, during the night hours, copper wire worth thousands of dollars was stolen from the yard of a Browning Court business in Bolton.

Wednesday, Oct. 3, a twowheeler trailer was stolen from the yard of a Coleraine Drive business sometime over the past several weeks.

Thursday, Oct. 4, several tools were stolen from a work site at a school on Harvest Moon Drive in Bolton. Wire was cut to gain entry to the construction compound through the gate.

Domestic Disputes

OPP officers responded to five domestic disputes in Caledon and Bolton between Oct. 31 and Nov. 3. No charges were laid.