Series of brazen break-ins at Barrie businesses cost owners thousands
A series of break-ins at Barrie businesses has caused concern among owners who feel the police should do more, while authorities ask owners to step up security.
Security video at Power Up Gaming shows two suspects using a 20-pound rock to smash the video game store's glass door repeatedly before gaining entry.
It only took the thieves minutes to find what they were looking for and make off with tens of thousands of dollars worth of trading cards and collectibles, the store's owner says.
And Kevin Wells says it's not the first time.
"In the last 12 months, we've lost $100,000 worth of funds available to our business from break-ins, damages, security upgrades, extra cameras," he says.
Wells says his insurance had provided little help with the situation, so he's working on beefing up security for his business.
He says last month was the third time his store was broken into in a year, despite having 10 cameras keeping watch.
"The biggest thing is a lot of the damage - any of the break-ins - it's a personal violation of our personal property, which is very hard," he adds.
Shirley Sanford has been in the antique business for 34 years and says she's sickened after a break-in at her store was caught on camera.
"I work hard and these scumballs are out there doing what they think they need to do best, but God help them if I catch them," she says.
Several other shops and small business owners said they have also been targeted by thieves.
And Sanford says when the suspects are arrested, justice isn't always served.
"If they do get caught, they go before a judge, and the judge throws it out, tells them not to do it again, and they just go and do it again," she says.
"We try and do everything we can to make this place secure," says Wells. "Smash and grabs are pretty unstoppable."
Meanwhile, Barrie police encourage small business owners to upgrade lighting and security systems to do everything possible to avoid becoming a victim.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.