A 42-year-old man plead guilty in Nanaimo provincial court yesterday for a string of thefts and break and enters.
Kevin Paul Gartner was sentenced to 22 months in jail for breaking in to a home on Harewood Road on Aug. 18 and one on Nicol Street on Oct. 5.
The owner of the Nicol Street home provided Nanaimo RCMP with surveillance photos, which the police used to identify Gartner. He was arrested two days later without incident, said Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman.
“Investigators were impressed with the home owners security system. It had been dismantled by Gartner but because it was being monitored at an off-site location, security photos were retrieved which lead to the timely arrest of Gartner,” O’Brien said.
Security systems are only one means of crime proofing your home, O’Brien said. He recommends keeping doors locked at all times, having an alarm system installed and getting to know neighbours.
Starting up a Block Watch is also one way to reduce crime, he added.