The Waterloo Regional Police Service is looking into four separate thefts that happened on University Avenue West in Waterloo, Ontario, on March 24, 2026. These reports all came in during a two-hour window between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. in the neighbourhood near the local universities.
This cluster of crimes follows ongoing warnings from the University of Waterloo Special Constable Service about a significant increase in the theft of electronics. Officers say that most of these thefts occur when students leave items like laptops or tablets unattended in the Davis Centre library.
Statistics Canada data for 2023 shows that Waterloo Region had the second-highest crime severity among 15 urban areas in Ontario. Amidst these broader crime concerns, police have been going door-to-door in the university district to remind residents to lock their cars and keep expensive items hidden from view in underground parking garages.
Police also recently charged a 43-year-old man with more than 30 offences after a series of break-ins at businesses near King Street North and University Avenue. Community members are being reminded to watch their belongings and make sure nothing valuable is left unattended.
