Over the past 31 days, Mississauga and Brampton experienced more than 230 break-and-enter incidents.

Peel Regional Police data shows there were 232 reported incidents between March 5 and April 5. The crimes were nearly evenly distributed between the two cities, with Mississauga seeing 120 incidents and Brampton 112.

This marks a 24 percent rise compared to the previous month, when 186 break-ins were recorded.

The data reveals the following locations were targeted:

70 homes

10 apartments

7 residential garages or sheds

30 restaurants

4 construction sites

1 school

18 stores

1 gas station

11 offices

2 pharmacies

17 incidents labeled as “other”

61 incidents at unidentified businesses.

The most frequent hotspots for these break-ins were:

Dundas Street—13 incidents

Hurontario Street—6 incidents

Main Street—6 incidents

Queen Street—10 incidents

As of April 5, investigations are still underway for 169 of these cases, 13 have been solved, and 4 remain unsolved.

Peel Police report that certain properties are more susceptible to break-ins, such as corner lots, homes backing onto parks or open spaces, and properties that appear poorly maintained or uninhabited.

“Residential break-ins are often crimes of opportunity,” says Peel Police. “Burglars typically target properties based on characteristics that increase their chances of success without getting caught.”

To help prevent break-ins, residents are advised to:

Maintain shrubs and hedges to ensure clear sightlines to windows and doors.

Lock garage and screen doors, even when at home.

Get to know neighbors and keep an eye on each other’s properties.

Install a secondary lock on windows and sliding doors.