Peterborough police credit the use of CCTV footage in identifying a suspect following a series of garbage bin fires in the downtown on Monday night.
Around 11:30 p.m., police were asked by the Peterborough Fire Department to assist them after several garbage bins were lit on fire. They included two bins in Millennium Park and one each at George Street North and King Street, Charlotte and Aylmer streets and George Street North near Sherbrooke Street.
The Peterborough Police Service accessed footage from the closed-circuit television cameras and were able to obtain a description of a suspect.
Officers searched the area and found a woman on a bike matching the person seen on camera in the area of Reid and Simcoe streets.
A 32-year-old Peterborough woman was arrested and charged with five counts of arson — damage to property.
The CCTV cameras in our downtown core will continue to be an effective crime-fighting / crime-prevention tool in @CityPtbo_, especially as the weather continues to improve and more people are on our streets. They certainly proved invaluable last night, resulting in a quick arrest… https://t.co/nfN7IxZKwf
— Chief Stu Betts, Peterborough Police Service (@PtboChiefBetts) April 30, 2024
She was held in custody and was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
Police chief Stuart Betts on X stated the CCTV program was “instrumental” in helping officers make an arrest.
“The CCTV cameras in our downtown core will continue to be an effective crime-fighting/crime-prevention tool in Peterborough, especially as the weather continues to improve and more people are on our streets,” he stated. “They certainly proved invaluable last night, resulting in a quick arrest.”