Bullet holes, break-ins and keyed cars: What residents of a Kitchener neighbourhood say is behind an increase in crimes

Some people living in Kitchener say they’re worried about a rise in concerning incidents in their neighbourhood. CTV’s Spencer Turcotte reports.

Several people living on a Kitchener street don’t know where to turn to for help after they say crime has increased in their neighbourhood over the last couple of years.

They claim it’s only getting worse and have started fearing for their safety.

“We’ve never had anything like this in the 27 years I’ve been here,” said Wendy McGrattan, a longtime resident of Stirling Avenue.

She recently had her car keyed, and is worried of it happening again and what that may do to her insurance.

“They wanted a copy of our estimates, pictures and the amount of damage. It was $1,495,” said McGrattan.

She’s not alone. Her neighbour Eric Reis was one of at least seven residents who said their vehicle was keyed.

“I’m an elementary school teacher. We don’t make enemies. I was very surprised by this,” said Reis.

He showed CTV News pictures of one of the other vehicles that had a message keyed into a door. Residents weren’t able to make out what it said.

“I’m not sure, maybe they got spooked before the message was done and ran off,” said Reis.

But the damage doesn’t stop in the driveways.

“I had a bullet in my front window. My neighbours also have bullet holes in their windows. We don’t know what to do,” said Reis.

McGrattan also said there have been multiple break-ins.

“I’ve had my house broken into twice,” she said.

Stirling Avenue residents are at their wits’ end and say they believe they know why the crimes keep happening.

“Ever since the homeless shelter moved in, it gets worse every day. We’ve been putting up with this for years,” said McGrattan.

The former Edith MacIntosh Child Care Centre was converted into an emergency shelter for men.

The neighbours say they can’t pinpoint every crime back to the shelter, but they say they have caught some shelter clients wreaking havoc, such as using drugs in their backyards.

“Even though the managers there are trying their best and they are very sincere people, unfortunately the clients they have are just ruining our experience here,” said Reis.

Staff from the shelter were not available for an interview on Friday.

But a spokesperson for the Region of Waterloo, which funds the shelter, did send CTV News a statement addressing the residents’ concerns.

“We are committed to being a good neighbour. To that end, we continue to work closely with service providers, community partners, shelter participants and local residents to find solutions that ensure everyone’s safety and well-being,” the statement reads, in part.

Waterloo Regional Police were not able to track down any active investigations in the area, relating to the recent crimes.

Residents are unsure of where to turn to next so they held a community meeting Friday afternoon and invited local politicians and police officers to voice their concerns.

“A lot of us haven’t been sleeping at night. When the sensor light goes on in my driveway, I get out of bed,” said McGrattan.

Reis also pointed out that two homes on the street are for sale, and he says it’s because those neighbours have indicated they no longer feel safe.

“You home is supposed to be your sanctuary. We don’t feel comfortable here,” said Reis.