Property crimes on the rise in Calgary

A criminologist says there's likely no one reason for an apparent spike in property crimes in Calgary.

According to police statistics, there was a 43 per cent year-over-year increase during the first four months of this year, with the biggest jump in commercial break-ins and car thefts.

Doug King, a criminologist with Mount Royal University, says statistics alone never tell the whole story.

"I live in the Beltline area and I've noticed certainly over the last six months or so, more drug dealing on the streets, more vagrancy on the streets, those kinds of things. And those are often times related toproperty thefts, vehicle vandalism, robberies and those kinds of things."

King says the jump has nothing to do with the economy or layoffs because law-abiding citizens don't suddenly start breaking the law, no matter their circumstances.

Chris Sowiak, who runs a replacement glass company, said it's been a busy spring.

"Two weekends ago one of our employees had eight emergency calls on the weekend," he said.

He recommends installing video cameras or alarms, as well as hiding valuables