CREDIT: JEN DOEDE
Two break and enters occurred on Monday morning in student neighbourhoods close to Fanshawe. The London Police Service (LPS) is warning students to lock up their belongings and be on the lookout for any suspicious behaviour.

London Police Service (LPS) are urging students to keep their doors and windows locked after police responded to two break and enters earlier this week. According to an LPS press release, in the early hours of Monday Oct. 9, two break and enters occurred in student neighbourhoods while the tenants of the properties were home.

“Public safety is our priority. We want everyone to remember to lock their doors and lock their windows even when they are inside of their homes,” Cst. Sandasha Bough, media officer for the LPS said.

The first break and enter occurred a bit after midnight when students reported to police that a male was in the basement of their house on Thurman Circle. The press release explains that the male stole some of the tenant’s property and made a quick exit; however, the tenants pursued the suspect outside. After leaving the property, the tenant discovered he was surrounded by almost two dozen other individuals. As a result of their pursuit, one of the tenants was assaulted by the suspect. Eventually, the police arrested the 17-year-old perpetrator and charged him with breaking and entering and assault.

The second break and enter happened shortly after the incident on Thurman Circle. Students on Fleming Drive, another student neighborhood located next to Thurman Circle, reported a man crawling out of their basement window. According to the press release, when the tenants spoke to the man, he told them that he had a weapon on him before making his escape outside the house towards a group of people.

Blair Harvey, Detective Sergeant for the street crime unit, explained that specifically student homes were targeted. “It’s pretty clear that these suspects went into the neighbourhoods around Fanshawe to target homes that were occupied by students,” Harvey said. “It’s important that we get the message out to the student population that keeping your residence secured […] needs to happen whether you are home or not. That’s always the first line of defense in terms of protecting your property and keeping an intruder on the outside.”

A student who lives close to Fleming Drive expressed concern over the possibility of more break and enter incidents happening in the future. The student, who wanted to remain anonymous, explained that she first heard about the break and enter cases on Tuesday when her roommates told her to lock the doors and ensure no valuables were left in their vehicles. “It was kind of nerve-wracking knowing that, that kind of stuff was happening in the neighborhood. I will be more concerned now to make sure we double- check that the doors are locked at night,” the student said.

“It certainly appeared that there may have been a number of people involved. We are still doing what we can to potentially identify additional suspects,” Harvey said.