Security glass 200x stronger than regular glass could prevent break-and-enter crimes
In 2023 in Toronto there were 7,643 break-and-enter crimes and Toronto police say there was a 40 per cent increase in break-ins in early 2024.
For businesses and homeowners, a break-in means a mess to clean up, broken doors and windows to repair and possibile stolen items and higher insurance premiums.
One company, that’s been in business for almost 40 years selling security products, says break-ins are currently a huge problem for many businesses.
“I've never seen it this bad. Right now, crime is on the rise and it just keeps going up,” said Tom Reimer, with Metalex Security Products in Scarborough.
One of the most common type of break-and-enter crimes is the “smash and grab" when thieves break a window or door, grab what they can and leave in less than a minute.
Reimer said his company has been developing products that will prevent thieves from getting in, in the first place.
Reimer said his company makes various items including metal bulldog screens that can be used on windows to prevent children falling from out of apartment buildings or on doors to prevent criminals from getting in.
"Windows are vulnerable. Thieves can give a window a smash and then break-in and take whatever they want” said Reimer.
The company also sells a product called rock glass, which Reimer said is 200 times stronger than regular glass. You can hit it with a hammer, baseball bat or sledgehammer and it won’t break.
In a demonstration, the company invited CTV News Toronto to its business and allowed me to hit a metal bulldog screen, a window and a door made with rock glass using various items including a baseball bat and a sledge hammer and the screen and glass did not break.
Another problem area for business are robberies involving jewelry display cases as thieves will come into a business with hammers smash the glass and run out with watches, rings and other expensive items.
“They'll take two or three shots to the jewellery case, the glass breaks and they will reach in and grab what’s there and then off they go,” said Reimer.
Reimer said he built a jewellery case using rock glass to show it will not break even when struck several times with a sledgehammer.
“You can hit the display case as hard as you want and the glass will not break,” said Reimer.
Reimer said he is working with jewellery groups to get the message out that the new display cases could help prevent thefts.
Many of the security products can be used in residential or commercial applications and costs will vary. To outfit a commercial type front door with rock glass will cost about $1,500 according to Reimer.
Reimer said using unbreakable security products can protect businesses and homes and reduce costs related to theft including keeping insurance premiums lower.
Many thieves break-in to businesses to steal point of sale terminals and then issue themselves refunds of thousands of dollars. Another popular target for thieves is power tools, which once stolen are often sold on Facebook marketplace and Kijiji.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6979415.1722030986!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Paris Olympics kicks off with ambitious but rainy opening ceremony on the Seine River
Celebrating its reputation as a cradle of revolution, Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century on Friday with a rain-soaked, rule-breaking opening ceremony studded with stars and fantasy along the Seine River.
BREAKING Celine Dion stages comeback with performance at Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Celine Dion staged the comeback of her career during the opening ceremony at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Jasper wildfire: 'Several weeks' before Jasper can return, premier says
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes "for several weeks."
'He was just gone': Police ramp up search for vulnerable 3-year-old boy in Mississauga, Ont.
Police in Mississauga are conducting a full-scale search of the city’s biggest park for a non-verbal toddler who went missing Thursday evening. Sgt. Jennifer Trimble told reporters Friday morning that there has been no trace of three-year-old Zaid Abdullah since 6:20 p.m., when he was last seen with his parents in Erindale Park, near Dundas Street West and Mississauga Road.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn $146,000 for water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six figure water bill.
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
Canada's Christine Sinclair: 'We were never shown drone footage'
Canada soccer great Christine Sinclair said on Friday national team players were never shown drone footage during the more than two decades she was on the team, following a spying scandal that cast a shadow over the Canadians at the Paris Games.
At least 4 buildings burned at Jasper Park Lodge, others damaged: Fairmont memo
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge said Thursday afternoon most of its structures are 'standing and intact,' including its iconic main lodge.