Yes, there are suddenly way more reports of Yellowknife break-ins

Two on December 28. One on January 10. Another on January 19. Finally, one on Monday. Police reports of break-ins around Yellowknife keep on coming.

This kind of crime is usually reported by Yellowknife RCMP once or twice a month, at most. Since December, counting the break-and-enters has become a weekly event.

What’s happening?

Yellowknife RCMP confirmed on Monday that “there has been a significant uptick in reports of break-and-enters since the fall.”

At the same time, police said, they cranked up reporting of those crimes in news releases “in an effort to publicize this issue.”

So not only are more break-ins happening, they are being reported more frequently than might previously have been the case.

Police say there’s evidence that at least some of the break-ins are connected.

“We have been able to link some of these occurrences and lay charges appropriately,” said Cpl Matt Halstead of NWT RCMP media relations by email.

“The motivation for these incidents is hard to pin down, even when we are able to identify a suspect and lay charges. The investigations to date supports that while some the incidents are linked, others are unrelated. This adds further complexity to the investigations.”

Two men were arrested after separate break-ins on Friday night and Saturday morning, RCMP announced on Monday.

Other recent cases include the tracing of an apparent thief using his footprints near city businesses, the charging of two youths following break-ins in the vicinity of Gitzel Street, an appeal for help this month after break-ins at a series of apartment buildings, and the discovery last week of items from Yellowknife apartments in a vehicle stopped in Behchokǫ̀.

Halstead said police are “working with all the affected property representatives” and multiple investigations are ongoing.