Toronto Police are probing the seizure of a smart camera planted by thieves to conduct surveillance on homes for possible break and enters when the owners are not at home.

Officers last week found a residential break and enter camera device set to photograph a home at Echo Valley Ridge, in the Kipling Avenue and Burnhamthorpe Road area.

Police were called by the homeowners to investigate a suspicious device, according to an alert from 22 Division officers.

“The device was hidden amongst overgrown shrubs next to the driveway of the residence,” police said. “The camera was facing a home across the street.”

Police determined the camera was a Blink brand surveillance camera ‘which was painted green, connected to ‘a wireless 4-G LTE transmitter,’ and powered by two heavy duty battery packs.

The Blink cameras, when turn on, record clips based on motion detection and send a notification to a compatible mobile device used by crooks, who are notified the owners may be leaving or returning to the home which they possibly plan to rob.

The camera is one of the most used surveillance methods in home or office premises. It provides live monitoring and security streaming through a wireless connection.

Police said due to a spike of robberies of large homes which back onto green spaces, owners and officers are encouraged to look for camera devices as this one in or around their houses ‘which may have been broken into or is targeted for a potential break in.’