A 29-year-old Owen Sound man is in custody facing nine Criminal Code charges after being arrested twice in two days, highlighting the challenges local police face with repeat offenders in a city where crime rates have more than doubled over the past decade.
According to the Owen Sound Police Service, the first incident began on June 28, 2026, when officers received a report of a vehicle stolen by a family member who had been drinking heavily. Police located the vehicle in the city, but when they tried to stop it, the driver sped away, running traffic signals and creating a serious risk to public safety.
Officers did not chase the vehicle because of those safety concerns. Later that day, the same man was captured on store security video stealing alcohol from a local shop. Police found him near his home and arrested him following a short foot chase. He was held for a bail hearing.
Less than 24 hours later, on June 29, the man was arrested again after returning to the same store and stealing more items. The Owen Sound Police have now charged him with nine offences, including theft of a motor vehicle, impaired operation, dangerous driving, and assaulting a police officer.
The back-to-back arrests shine a light on a broader trend in the community. More than half of the people charged by Owen Sound police are repeat offenders. In 2024 alone, 10 individuals accounted for 578 calls for service. The city also recorded the highest total crime rate among comparable Ontario municipalities for the second year in a row, while the local crime severity index jumped 18 per cent in 2023.
