Guelph police say a new unit, aimed at tackling property crime in the city, has already made two arrests in a pair of car theft investigations.

In an announcement on Wednesday, Guelph police said the BEAT team was established as a response to the rise in break-ins and auto thefts over the past year.

Their first arrest came this week when a 32-year-old man was taken into custody after a Honda Accord was reported stolen in 2017.

The car was found by police in September of that year in the parking lot of the McDonald’s on Gordon Street.

Police said they received a DNA hit from the Centre of Forensic Sciences and arrested the Guelph man in the area of Neeve and Surrey streets on Thursday.

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Officers also charged him with possession of a controlled substance after finding over a gram of what is believed to be crystal meth.

The BEAT team also arrested a 25-year-old man after a BMW was stolen from a home on McElderry Road in April 2018.

The car was recovered the next day on Poppy Drive and police processed a collapsible baton that was found inside.

Police said a DNA match from the weapon led the BEAT team to a suspect who was also arrested on Thursday near Stone Road Mall.

Police added that their High Enforcement Action Team was involved in both arrests.

A police spokesperson said as the BEAT team dives into old cases, residents can expect more arrests involving property-related crime.

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