Two Surrey residents face more than 150 charges relating to a string of break-ins, theft and fraud cases in the city.
Surrey RCMP say its Property Crime Target Team, or PCTT, investigated the pair after several apartment complex break-ins over a two-month period, from mid-August until October. Thieves targeted communal mailboxes and underground parking garages.
Video surveillance cameras captured crooks in action, and that led police to a Surrey hotel room on Oct. 24, when two people were arrested. Also, search warrants were executed at two locations and a number of stolen IDs, banking documents and credit card data turned up, according to RCMP.
Currently charged with a total of 157 property crime-related offences are Serena Goth, 43, and Calvin Cranmore, 36, both of Surrey. The pair remain in custody pending a bail hearing, set for this week.
Inspector Shawna Baher, a Proactive Enforcement Officer, said Surrey RCMP “is committed to reducing property crime and targeting those individuals who commit a large percentage of crimes in our communities.
“Our Priority Target Offender program identifies offenders who are active in our community and, through targeted analysis and enforcement, we are able to apprehend those individuals and bring them before the courts.”
While property crime rates have been on the decline in Surrey, residents of apartment and townhouse complexes are encouraged to be mindful when it comes to the safety and security of their buildings, RCMP say.
“Never allow strangers into the building as you are entering or exiting, be aware of suspicious people loitering around entrances and parkades, and remember to collect your mail daily,” says a police press release.
“Consider starting a Block Watch or joining the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program. Residents and business can also register their CCTV cameras with the City of Surrey’s Project IRIS, as video surveillance footage is a valuable tool for police.”
More program details are posted in the Protect Yourself section of Surrey RCMP’s website.
