Police recover 30 stolen garage remotes from Burnaby thief

Garage door opener. (Shutterstock)

Burnaby RCMP have nabbed a suspected thief who was caught with 30 stolen garage openers.

In April, police began investigating a number of break-and-enters that were taking place across the city.

The suspect entered through garages using remote control garage openers and stole a “significant” amount of property from each residence.

As part of the investigation, police recovered 30 garage door openers and the following stolen property:

Numerous sporting equipment items including tennis racquets, skis, golf club sets, and bicycles
37 GPS units
A significant number of tools

A 51-year-old Burnaby man is facing a number of charges in relation to the break-and-enters and the stolen property.

Just a few of the stolen goods recovered by police (Burnaby RCMP)

The suspect in this case is facing a number of serious charges thanks to the great work of Burnaby Strike Force, said Cpl. Daniela Panesar in a release.

Today we’re asking that the public treat garage door remotes in the same way they would the front door key to their home.

Burnaby RCMP is advising residents of the following safety tips for their homes:

Never leave your garage door remote control in an unoccupied vehicle.
Change the factory default settings on your garage door remote to a unique code.
If your residence can be accessed via your garage, ensure doors are secure when you’re not at home.
Block out your address on your vehicle registration papers so that if your garage door remote is stolen from your car, thieves can’t find your residence.
If you do have your garage door remote stolen, unplug it from its main power source immediately.
Keep a record of your valuables (serial numbers and/or photographs).

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