Two suspected laundry-room burglars were recently hung out to dry thanks to the quick thinking and sharp eyes of two Victoria Avenue residents.

On May 8 at around 9:50 p.m., two women waiting for the elevator in their apartment building, situated between Chesterfield Avenue and Sherbrooke Street, noticed that the elevator was coming up from the basement. When it arrived and the doors opened, two young men stepped out.

The women knew there is no indoor parking in the building, and didn't recognize either of the youths as residents. They also knew that the laundry room had been burgled before — so they memorized the description of the two suspects and took the elevator down to the basement to scout the scene themselves.

They called 911 when they found the machines had been vandalized and the coin boxes emptied.

Local police officers were nearby and managed to intercept the two suspects, who were found to be in possession of tools often used for burglaries. They were promptly arrested.

Due to this arrest, police say they were able to solve 20 other similar cases.

The nice weather brings more people to the city's parks, and with them comes graffiti and other bylaw contraventions.

As a result, Westmount Public Security beefed up its patrols of neighbourhood parks for the Victoria Day weekend. Four auxiliary PSOs were in place, part of 12 new agents — the rest of whom will be students — who will be on patrol in the city by May 26.

"It's mainly the curfew that we want to enforce," Public Security Captain Richard Bourdon told the Examiner. "It's often late at night that we have damage and vandalism in the parks. And that costs residents money."