Open houses give thieves opportunity to make off with valuables, police warn

National Post

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Thieves, posing as potential home buyers, have been stealing valuables from open houses in the Beaches and Riverdale, police warned yesterday. Since as early as March 7, valuables including jewellery, watches and cameras have gone missing from at least five homes in Toronto Police's 55 Division. "We've put it out there so people will take a little extra care if they are having an open house," said Detective Constable Michelle Cipro. The thefts are becoming more frequent as the weather improves. Last weekend, three homes east of Coxwell Avenue were victimized. It's too early for police to tell if the same person or group has been responsible for every theft, and the nature of the crime isn't helping. "The sheer volume of people in and out is going to make it hard to pin down at this point," Det-Const. Cipro said.