Nova Scotia·NewConst. Gary Fraser of the Cape Breton Regional Police stressed the importance of the community coming together to help prevent crime.Cape Breton Regional Police ask residents to consider joining volunteer patrol programAnna Rak · CBC News · Posted: Oct 28, 2025 2:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesCape Breton Regional Police hosted a public meeting Monday in Point Edward in response to recent thefts and break-ins in the area. (Robert Doublett/CBC)About 100 residents of Point Edward gathered Monday to hear from police after a rise in thefts and break-ins in their rural Cape Breton community over the past two weeks.Const. Gary Fraser of the Cape Breton Regional Police declined to give specifics about the number of break-ins or how the investigations are progressing, but he stressed the importance of the community coming together to help prevent crime.He recommended that local volunteers join Citizens on Patrol, a community-based program that works in co-operation with the RCMP. Volunteers drive around their own community and make police aware of any suspicious activity or active crimes.“It’s no good taking somebody from Glace Bay out to Point Edward and tell them to look for suspicious people. We want them [local residents] to own it and take ownership of it and work together with the police,” Fraser said in an interview.Const. Gary Fraser leads a meeting at the seniors’ hall in Point Edward, N.S. (Anna Rak/CBC)While the Citizens on Patrol program runs in a number of Nova Scotia communities, there is no patrol group on Cape Breton Island. Participants must commit to the program for at least a year and volunteer for a minimum of 120 hours per year. Residents share storiesResidents who attended Monday’s meeting at the local seniors’ hall shared their own stories of thieves seen in the area. One woman said a thief stole an iPad and iPhone from her gazebo while her family was at home. Other residents reported seeing people attempting to break into vehicles. District 4 Coun. Steve Gillespie, who attended the meeting, said the break-ins have unnerved residents.“There were a number of issues where somebody just happened to be up in the middle of the night, looked outside and there’s somebody on their front door,” he said in an interview. “So these things are a concern, not only because they’re going to break in and steal something, but because people are in fear for their safety.”Safety tipsFraser suggested residents leave outdoor lights on overnight, install deadbolt locks on doors, and mount cameras on their properties.“I’m really pleased that I came out to do the presentation and listen to them,” he said after the meeting. “I hope they do follow up on this and do some things that we talked about here this evening and make themselves a little safer, feel safer.”Fraser said the public can report suspicious activity to the non-emergency line at 902-563-5151, or call 911 in the event of an active crime.MORE TOP STORIESABOUT THE AUTHORAnna Rak is a reporter for CBC Cape Breton.
Police meet with locals after thefts, break-ins in Point Edward
