The Rocklyn Community Centre and the Kimberley Library are the latest buildings to fall prey to thieves who are targeting unoccupied community building.
Grey County OPP say that sometime between 10 p.m. on Saturday (Feb. 23) and 9 a.m. Sunday (Feb. 24) thieves pried open a door to the Centre, smashed an exit sign and a pop machine, before stealing some cash from the kitchen.
The hamlet of Rocklyn is located south of Meaford on the 7th Line in the Municipality of Grey Highlands.
Then, over the same weekend, the library was pried open. The library is located on Grey Road 13 in the village of Kimberley, Municipality of Grey Highlands.
Whoever was inside stole a Dell computer system and a small amount of cash.
The time frame of these break, enter and thefts, the locations, and the method indicate that these may be related to break and enters into three churches in Meaford that were reported Sunday morning (Feb. 24). Like the churches, these facilities are known to be occupied sporadically.
A caretaker left the Highpoint Community School on Main Street West in Dundalk (Southgate) at 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28 and at 7:30 a.m. the following morning staff found a break and entry had occurred. An exterior door on the school was found insecure at 10:30 p.m. on Thursday night so it is possible that the person or persons responsible exited from there at that time.
Inside, the culprit(s) gained access to the office by heaving a fire extinguisher through the door. An undisclosed amount of cash was removed from the petty cash box. Total damage was estimated to be about $200.
Another overnight break and enter was discovered at about the same time Friday morning at the Ceylon Bowling Lanes situated on Bell Street in the hamlet of Ceylon in the Municipality of Grey Highlands. Entry was gained by breaking a window and once inside the culprit(s) stole a small amount of cash from a cash box.
On Saturday morning it was discovered that, Stothart Hall, the community centre on Kinross Street in Priceville, Municipality of Grey Highlands, had been entered. Entry was gained by breaking a window. At this point it doesn't appear that anything was stolen.
"There have been an unusually high number of break and enters into public facilities such as churches, community centres, libraries and similar venues in this part of Ontario since mid-December, 2008," said Media Relations officer Steve Starr.
"Police services and OPP detachments from multiple jurisdictions are working together with West Region OPP Crime Unit to coordinate their efforts and share information in an attempt to find the person or person(s) responsible. In most instances small amounts of petty cash have been stolen. On random occasions consumer electronics have been taken."
Anyone with information that might assist with the investigation of these break, enters and thefts is asked to contact Grey County OPP or Crime Stoppers, who have doubled the reward for information.
