City police say they have yet to find any concrete links between a jewelry store heist in Collingwood and an attempted robbery in downtown Barrie earlier this week.
However, there are several striking similarities police have pointed out.
The two hold-ups happened within about an hour of each other on Monday, Dec. 4.
Both involved vehicles that had been reported stolen to Toronto police.
Both involved a firearm.
And both involved people believed to be under the age of 18.
In the Collingwood robbery, three males from Whitby and Brampton have been arrested and face several charges.
Ontario Provincial Police say a firearm was "discharged" in the Collingwood store during the robbery at D.C. Taylor Jewellers at about 3 p.m. on Dec. 4
Barrie police, meanwhile, said three males entered the downtown business behind a customer who had been granted access through the locked front door. The males then displayed several weapons, including a firearm, but fled the store without obtaining any merchandise. Police would not confirm the location of the attempted robbery.
No one was injured in either incident.
No arrests have been made in connection to the attempted robbery in Barrie. The investigation continues.
“I don’t believe there is a link, given the timeframe,” Barrie police communications co-ordinator Peter Leon told BarrieToday when asked on Friday if the Barrie and Collingwood incidents involved the same suspects.
There was also a third case bearing some similarities that happened at Yorkdale Mall on Tuesday evening, just prior to closing at 9 p.m. Toronto police are investigating after three suspects robbed the Cartier jewelry store. According to Toronto police, three males entered the store and smashed the display cases and took a “large amount” of luxury items.
Leon did not offer any details when asked if all three of the similar robberies could be a co-ordinated effort.
“When occurrences like that happen in close proximity to one another, it’s very common for police to share their information and I believe that we are making contact with the OPP, if we haven’t already,” he added.
Barrie has been hit by a string of robberies in recent weeks.
The Ontario Educational Credit Union on Alliance Boulavard in Barrie was hit by masked robbers on Nov. 9. The dollar amount taken was in excess of five digits and the crooks restrained employees in the building. No one was seriously injured.
And just last night, there was an attempted robbery at the Cash Money business on Mapleview Drive West in Barrie’s south end. Thieves, armed with a handgun and a sledgehammer, fled empty-handed in that incident. No one was injured.
Leon thinks the recent occurrences are indicative of the “time we’re living in.”
"There’s a lot of people out there that are taking advantage of others, and it makes it more important each and every day for members of the public and businesses to be vigilant, and look at the way they are conducting business," he added.
“We don’t want anybody to become the next victim, and if they could do something to prevent it, then it’s in their best interest for not just their staff but their customers in the store as well,” Leon said.
Barrie police offers programs for businesses in the city if they feel a need to improve their safety and security situations.
“If they reach out, we have officers that are trained in a program called Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), and we can go in and look at their business and do an audit for them, and provide them some recommendations to increase the safety and security of their business, and how to ensure the safety of their staff and customers,” said Leon.
Anyone with information on any of the recent robberies in Barrie can call police at 705-725-7025.
