A community in Burlington came together on Wednesday evening to voice their worries about break-ins after a violent home invasion last month prompted the gathering.
Residents met at St. Raphael’s Church following the latest home invasion that occurred on May 15 near Lakeshore and Belvenia roads.
Another incident happened just a short distance from the church, where a homeowner sustained injuries.
According to police, on April 22, five suspects first broke into a house in Oakville. Later that same night, they targeted another home around Rossmore Boulevard.
The intruders broke a window to get inside, and when confronted by the homeowners, a struggle took place.
During this altercation, one homeowner was hit in the head with an unknown object and needed medical care. The suspects escaped without stealing anything.
: Halton police searching for four men following Burlington home invasion
The recent events have left many community members feeling unsettled. On the day of the meeting, security companies were visible along Rossmore Boulevard, and one resident mentioned that neighbors are hiring a security guard for their street.
Meanwhile, residents are seeking answers from both the city and Halton police about what steps are being taken regarding these break-ins.
“Obviously anytime you have people that are breaking into your home when you are present, of course raises multiple alarms for concern,” said Jeff Dillon, a media relations officer with the Halton Regional Police Service. “Of course you’re going to have the mental repercussions. Even if there wasn’t any physical violence, it’s just the intrusion of people coming into your home like that is going to leave, I think, a mental scar.”
Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward recognized the community’s concerns but pointed out that overall crime statistics have been decreasing.
“Across the city we have seen break-and-enters; we’ve seen auto theft. Those numbers have gone down a little bit … I’ve been hearing a lot from people across the city about this sense of anxiety,” Meed Ward said. “What’s happening? Is crime going up? What are police doing about this? What is the mayor and council doing about this? We really want to answer all of those questions tonight for the community and let them know we’ve heard them; we understand their concerns and share what we’re doing.”
: One resident injured after two early-morning home invasions in Halton
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