Waterloo Regional Police laid 75 charges during retail theft blitz

A person carried a shopping bag in this undated file image. (Mathias Reding/Pexels.com)

The Waterloo Regional Police Service said they have laid dozens of charges during a crackdown on thefts from stores in Cambridge.

During February and March, officers focused on thieves targeting shops in the Hespeler Road and Franklin Boulevard areas. All told, 37 thefts were investigated and 75 criminal charges were laid. Those charges include 57 theft-related offences and 18 Criminal Code charges that came to light during the investigations.

Police said 17 of the thefts involved suspected repeat offenders and two incidents could have ties to organized crime.