A downtown resident is frustrated with a spate of petty crime at his Bay Street condominium building.
Between Sunday and Monday, multiple vehicles were broken into at the 700 Bay Street parking lot, with windows smashed in and belongings stolen.
One of the victims whose car was broken into spoke with SooToday.
“It's a first experience for me. I never thought I’d see a situation like this,” said a man who wished to remain anonymous. He said he's lived in the building for eight months.
“I lost my battery air compressor from the trunk, which I kept hidden,” he said. “They took it and my shades, and they just scattered every item on the seat.”
He and the building’s superintendent then noticed another vehicle broken into.
By Monday morning, an additional three vehicles were targeted.
“Who will come back to the same parking lot the day after to smash, again, three cars? It means they have the idea that nobody will catch them, or they're fools,” he said.
Police have been contacted about the incidents, the man said, adding there are CCTV cameras in the area – though he wonders whether those responsible deliberately targeted vehicles outside their view.
“All the residents are angry, and they are just like, what do we do?” he said.
“An old man, he took care of his Grand Highlander every day – clean and neat – and it's so sad to see his glass smashed.”
Adding frustration to the situation, the items stolen from the man's vehicle were worth less than $1,000 – meaning his insurance won’t cover their loss – and there will be a wait before a new rear window can be delivered to the Sault.
“The weekend is coming. There are a lot of plans to go out, but I cannot drive now,” he said.
“As I drive, the wind comes inside the plastic, and because of humidity, fog comes inside the windshield, so I'm not able to drive and I'm not able to find a replacement.”
Building management has posted notices reminding residents not to leave valuable items in their vehicles, but he said he hopes a solution can be found to discourage crime moving forward.
“There's no solution. We need to find some kind of way, if not permanent, at least install more cameras, or appoint security for some specific lots, or to get hold of these people,” he said.
SooToday has reached out to police for comment.