A rash of recent break-and-enters in downtown Wheatley has prompted the Municipality of Chatham-Kent to hire a security company to keep an eye on things.
The municipality said Chatham-Kent police are investigating the recent break-ins at properties located within the evacuation zone along Talbot Road East in Wheatley's core.
The municipality is working to buy these properties and anticipates the purchasing and demolition to be complete later in the Spring.
"While this work proceeds, CK administration has hired a company to provide 24-hour security for the site," said Chatham-Kent's Manager of Corporate Communications Eric Labadie in a news release issued Friday afternoon. "These security personnel will be present in the area while the matter is investigated and next steps in the property purchases are undertaken."
The Wheatley emergency has cost the municipality $22 million to date, including the price of buying five properties recently in downtown Wheatley for $3.5 million.
The evacuation area has been targeted several times since a gas explosion rocked the downtown in August of 2021, destroying several buildings in the area and injuring 20 people.
A security firm was hired just after the blast to keep the integrity of the evacuation zone in downtown Wheatley, but a short time into the contract downtown residents started raising concerns about people trespassing at night and looting, with some expressing concerns about personal belongings being taken from the evacuation zone under the watch of the security company. A couple of security guards were fired or removed from the site because of the criminal activity going unnoticed.
Municipal officials urge the public to call Chatham-Kent police on their non-emergency line at 519-352-1234 if they see suspicious activity in the vicinity. They can also provide information anonymously by submitting a tip through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).