Guelph police are hoping a new initiative will help to combat a rise in property crime in the city.

The police force has teamed up with Guelph-based insurance company The Co-operators to launch a pilot program called the Break and Enter and Auto Thefts (BEAT) project.

“Over the past year, we have seen an increase in property-related crimes,” said Const. Josh Fraser. “This is a concerning trend to the Guelph police.”

Fraser said five officers have been pulled from different units, and they will be dedicated to issues such as break-ins and vehicle thefts.

The most recent figures from Statistics Canada show there were 600 break-ins in Guelph in 2017, up from 469 the previous year.

There were 173 motor vehicle thefts in 2017, up from 156 the previous year, according to the agency.

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