Montreal police investigating 'alarming' string of NDG business break-ins

Joseph Mathieu has recently had to review surveillance footage that no business owner wants to see.

It starts with a brick flying through his Montreal hair salon's window. Mathieu said the intruder went straight to the cash register, cleaned it out and ran off with a couple of hundred dollars.

The footage was captured early Friday morning at Joe et Charlie, located on Sherbrooke Street, near Hampton Avenue in the city's west-end district of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG).

Were insurance not covering some of the cost, replacing the window would cost more than what was stolen, he said.

The hair salon is not the only business in the area that has been hit by this type of break-in recently.

"There were four of us hit in less than a week so I find that's pretty alarming that there's so many break-ins," said Mathieu.

About a week before, the neighbouring salon, Coiffure Addict, was also broken into and the owner there has since been ramping up security.

But Deniz Torkani said he feels like putting some bars on the windows won't be enough.

"They broke that front door and then he was looking for the cash, but he couldn't find it," said Torkani. "He took my laptop and then some other stuff."

Other victims include a Monkland Avenue bakery on Saturday night and an Italian grocer on Somerled Avenue on Monday morning.

NDG Coun. Peter McQueen said it's been one thing after another for local merchants.

"We come out of COVID, inflation. Now there's this unfortunate thing," said McQueen. "It can happen once in a while — a criminal spree."

In a statement, the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) confirms there has been an increase in break-ins in the area and it is investigating.

The number of patrols has been increased and investigators are on the case.

Meanwhile, the SPVM recommends store owners ensure their business is well lit and recommends any visual obstructions like fencing, signs or bushes be avoided so there is no place to hide and it's easy to see into the store.

Tinted windows should not be installed, the statement says. The business should remain lit at night, a security system should be installed and so should a vandal-proof surveillance system, the police say. The SPVM provides other tips in this online brochure.

Merchants should immediately report break-ins to police by calling 911, the statement says.