Good Day Block Watch Captains, Co-Captains & Participants,
West Vancouver Police have responded to 307 calls for service since our last update.
Break-ins
A familiar residential break-in tactic resurfaced in the past week. Suspects broke into a home in the Upper Dundarave area. Investigators believe suspects entered through a 2nd-floor balcony by climbing an exterior drainpipe. Bedrooms were targeted. Officers, including a Police K9 Unit, responded immediately to the area, however suspects had fled. An active investigation continues.
Please review security of your own property. Check if there is anything that could assist suspects in climbing to upper floors to look for more vulnerable entry points. Please be watchful in all neighbourhoods and promptly call police if any suspicious persons or circumstances are noted.
Prompt Calls Can Help
Patrol Team responses & arrest of suspects were assisted this week by prompt calls to Police. A resident in Horseshoe Bay area reported suspects trying door handles on parked cars during early hours. Officers arrived to find suspects associated to the report, with one still in a vehicle just broken into. Suspected stolen property was recovered. Officers are working now to identify legitimate owners of the recovered items.
Meantime, a report of a fight in progress in a retail parking area near Taylor Way & Marine Dr. resulted in officers finding, identifying, and arresting 3 individuals, one for possession of a stolen vehicle, a 2nd subject of an arrest warrant out of North Vancouver and the 3rd for Causing a Disturbance S.175 CCC.
Officers are ready to respond at any hour of the day. Calling promptly when you see something suspicious can make a big difference in helping officers bring suspects before the courts.
Protect Yourself Against Fraud
More familiar Fraud offences to pass along. A Cypress Creek area resident was called by a suspect falsely claiming to represent a utility company, and threatening to cut off service to the home if immediate payment of an allegedly overdue bill wasn’t made by digital currency. Unfortunately, funds were transferred & lost before the victim realized it was a scam.
A happier result this week in connection to an attempted job advertisement scam. A Sentinel Hill resident responded to an online job offer and provided extensive personal details before determining the ad was false. Fortunately, immediate action was taken to contact banks, financial services & credit reporting agencies. No losses incurred.
WVPD in the Community - Cops For Cancer in West Van
West Vancouver Police & our 2023 Cops for Cancer Rider Sergeant Chris Lincoln proudly hosted the entire Tour de Coast team & Support Crew this week, for a ceremony in which 36 riders from First Responder agencies across the Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast & Sea-to-Sky Corridor were presented with official tour jerseys and enjoyed a final full team training session in our community before the 8-day 800km tour September 15-22nd.
Yours truly is proudly joining my 10th Tour de Coast this year. As a former Cops for Cancer rider, now a volunteer member of the Support Team, Steering Committee(And also Team Bus Driver this year), I will be away from the office on the Tour from September 15th to the 22nd.
Cops for Cancer Bicycle Tours have raised more than 52 million dollars for the Canadian Cancer Society since their inception in 1998. WVPD officers have been there from the beginning. I won’t include a direct sales pitch in this update, but please don’t hesitate to email me if you’d like more information on how to help support our fight against Pediatric Cancers.
If you see activity of concern, please don’t hesitate to call West Vancouver Police. Call 604-925-7300 for non-emergency matters. Call 9-1-1 in an emergency, including events that involve an immediate threat to a person or property or to report a substantive crime in progress.
Jeff Palmer
Block Watch & Operational Support Coordinator
t: 604-925-7363 | c: 604-785-2446
“What’s the number to call again, Grampa?”
