There are 145,000 stories in the Royal City, and this is some of them. Looking at a week’s worth of media releases from the Guelph Police Service, there’s a lot going on in our little city crime-wise speaking, so let’s run down some of the charges, issues, and requests for information from the Guelph Police Service over the last seven days.

***Please note that not all offenses and police calls are reported in the daily Guelph Police media release.

Dodge Rams Are the Hot Car to Steal This Christmas

Guelph Police are reporting that they’ve seen a rather dramatic spike in the theft of one particular type of vehicle. At least 10 Dodge Ram pick-up trucks have been stolen in Guelph since November 25, with the most recent incident happening overnight Thursday and Friday in the area of Clair and Gordon. That truck was a 2021, but a similar grey and black model from 2022 had been stolen earlier this week from the area of Auden and Leacock.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada reports more than 87,000 vehicles are stolen across the country every year; an average of one every six minutes. Last year, there were almost 200 auto thefts in Guelph, and police say that we’ve already surpassed that number for 2022. Higher-end SUVs and full-size pickups often top the national list of most-stolen vehicles. To prevent your car from being stolen, the Insurance Bureau recommends the following advice:

• Don’t leave a keyless entry fob in a vehicle or unprotected at the front entrance of your home. Thieves can use wireless transmitters to intercept the signal, giving them access to the vehicle. Consider storing fobs in a protective box or bag that blocks the signal.
• Install an immobilizing device which prevents thieves from bypassing the ignition and hot-wiring a vehicle. This can include devices that require wireless ignition authentication or starter, ignition and fuel pump disablers.
• Install a tracking device that emits a signal to police or a monitoring station if a vehicle is stolen.
• Don’t make your vehicle an easy target:
• Never leave a vehicle running when unattended.
• Lock the doors and close all windows when parked.
• Make sure to park in well-lit areas or in the garage.
• Use a visible or audible device that shows thieves a vehicle is protected.
• Consider using a deterrent like a steering wheel or brake pedal lock.
• Don’t leave personal information, like insurance and ownership documents, in the glove box when parked.

If you have any information about stolen vehicles call Sergeant Kendall Brown of the Guelph Police Service Break Enter Auto Theft (BEAT) Unit at 519-824-1212, ext. 7110, or email him at kbrown [at] guelphpolice.ca.

Police Board Meeting this Week

The monthly Guelph Police Services Board is this Thursday, December 15, at 11 am. You can see the agenda here, and then tune in to the meeting on the Guelph Police YouTube page.

Assault

A 27-year-old Guelph man was charged with assault and three counts of breaching probation after striking a 60-something woman in the back of the head and knocking her to the ground as she waited for her granddaughter’s school bus on Monday.

A 35-year-old Guelph women was charged with assault, assault with a weapon and mischief under $5,000 for an incident Saturday morning involving a physical altercation at a residence in the area of Kortright and Rickson. A man was struck in the face and a windshield was smashed.

Break-Ins

Three Guelph males, aged 13 to 15, were charged with break and enter and possessing stolen property during a November 12 hockey game at the Victoria Road Recreation Centre. The youths accessed secure areas of the building with stolen keys and then took miscellaneous items. The locks were changed at a cost of $3,000.

A 45-year-old Guelph man was charged with break and enter, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose and possessing stolen property after breaking in to a home near Cambridge and Yorkshire. The suspect was confronted by the homeowner even though he showed her what looked to a firearm in his coat, which turned out to be a fake. Police caught up with the suspect at a location nearby.

A 42-year-old Ohsweken male turned himself in and was charged with break and enter after his DNA was identified through the Centre of Forensic Science from blood collected at a south-end break-in earlier this year on March 22.

A 50-year-old Guelph male was charged with six counts of break and enter and one count of possessing break and enter instruments for a string of ‘smash and grab’-type burglaries at south-end businesses between September 29 and October 8.

A 22-year-old Guelph man and 19-year-old Guelph women were jointly charged with two counts of break and enter as well as breaching probation, and the man was also charged with possessing stolen property and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose. The woman was picked up at an apartment at Wyndham and Macdonell in middle of stealing from it, and the man was picked up a few hours later in possession of the victim’s property as well as a butterfly-style knife.

Police believe that two break-ins on Silvercreek Parkway North on Friday are connected to a third break-in at 6:15 am later that same morning. They’re looking for two suspects, the first is believed to be a male, approximately six feet tall with a medium build and wearing a black hoodie with white writing, a black and grey checkered scarf, black gloves and black sneakers with white trim. The second is believed to be a female, 5’9” with a slim build and wearing a black hoodie with white writing, orange shirt, orange scarf, black pants, grey gloves and a black duffel bag. If you have any information, call Constable Rob Smith at 519-824-1212, ext. 7388, or email him at rsmith [at] guelphpolice.ca.

Drugs

A 17-year-old Guelph man was charged with robbery and possessing a controlled substance for a November 17 incident where a 19-year-old man leaving a house party on College West was attacked by several youths who stole his wallet and his car keys and drove away in his car. This one suspect was arrested on Wednesday and was found with quantities of suspected psilocybin, cocaine and Hydromorpohone as well as a scale, cash and four cellphones.

Fraud

Another “grandparent scam” was reported this week when a 70-something woman in the south-end told police on Wednesday that she gave a man $4,000 after she was called on the phone by someone pretending to her grandson. A second call from someone claiming to be a lawyer told her that he needed $9,000 cash for her grandson’s bail. The man who picked up the money is described as a white male with olive skin and a black brush cut, wearing a dark spring jacket, dark shirt and jeans. If you have any information, call Detective Constable Brooke Drake of the Guelph Police Service Fraud Unit at 519-824-1212, ext. 7430, or email her at bdrake [at] guelphpolice.ca.

Theft

Police found two different stolen vehicles in a parking lot near Willow and Applewood, a stolen Ford F-150 truck that had ammunition inside, and a blue Hyundai Accent with four flat tires and several debit and credit cards. Yes, police believe that the cars are connected. If you have any information, call Constable James Perdicaris at 519-824-1212, ext. 7382, or email him at jperdicaris [at] guelphpolice.ca.

A cash register containing an undisclosed amount of cash was taken from a restaurant in the area of Stone and Edinburgh early on Sunday morning at around 5 am. Access was gained from smashing the front glass door. If you have any information, call Constable John Hunt at 519-824-1212, ext. 7359, or email him at jhunt [at] guelphpolice.ca.

A 38-year-old Guelph man was charged with possessing stolen property over $5,000, dangerous driving, failing to stop at a collision, flight from police and two counts of driving while prohibited for an incident on November 29. Police found a stolen Audi SUV in a parking lot on Speedvale East, and while they were waiting for a tow truck, the driver came back, rammed a police cruiser and sped from the scene. After an investigation, the driver was taken into custody on Wednesday.

Traffic

A 40-year-old Guelph man was charged with impaired driving and dangerous driving, and his driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days after a traffic stop on Friday. Police received reports of a possible impaired driver in the west end, and a traffic stop was conducted when they found the driver in a parking lot on Imperial.

A 33-year-old Guelph man was charged with operation while prohibited and his vehicle was impounded for 45 days despite the fact that he and his wife tried to switch seats when they were pulled over by police in a traffic stop.

A 37-year-old Guelph man was arrested Wednesday and charged with dangerous driving and failing to stop after a collision for a November 29 incident at a drive-thru at Wellington and Imperial where a pair of people in a cargo van rammed a Cambridge man’s BMW twice and causing $2,500 in damage.

A 43-year-old Puslinch man was charged with impaired driving and dangerous driving, and his driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days after he rear-ended another car on Downey Road near the Hanlon. When police responded to the scene and found the driver wearing a sweatshirt as pants and the wrong end of a cigarette in his mouth. It was determined that he was impaired by drugs.

Other Notes

The coat was recovered from the suspect of that break and enter near Cambridge and Yorkshire on Monday mentioned above. It’s believed to be stolen, and if it looks familiar then call Constable Matt Ball at 519-824-1212, ext. 7525, or email him at mball [at] guelphpolice.ca.

Total calls for service last week: 1,634

If you have any information about the crimes or incidents mentioned above, you can also call Guelph Wellington Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or post online at csgw.tips.