Last week, the OBPD was able to happily report that the number of thefts from motor vehicles were down in 2013 from previous years. Unfortunately, this last week saw 11 unlocked vehicles entered. Four vehicles in the King George Terrace and Crescent Road area were entered at the beginning of the week. The early morning hours of January 18th saw seven more vehicles in the Redwood Avenue neighbourhood of North Oak Bay entered. Parking change, a folding multi-tool, cell phone chargers, a blackberry and a wallet were stolen.
On January 13th, police took a report of cash having been stolen from a wallet left in an unlocked locker at a local fitness centre and on January 18th, police attended the Recreation Centre to speak to two people who had had their cell phones stolen. In the cases from the Rec Centre, lockers had been locked but then left open briefly when the individuals stepped away to change or shower. Police will be reviewing the video surveillance tapes of the common areas of the Rec Centre in an attempt to determine suspects.
On January 16th, police took a report of a suspicious man who was going door to door asking for a job cleaning windows in the 1600 block of Monterey Ave. Unfortunately, the report was made the day after the male had been by, so no real follow up could be done. This resident did everything right by asking the male to provide a business card and some ID showing that he was a legitimate employee of a company. When he couldn’t provide that information, he was asked to leave but invited to return the next day with the proper credentials; he didn’t show up. While some bona fide companies and their employees do go door to door looking for business, they should always be prepared to give you information about who they are and how they might be contacted. Ask for some time to think about their proposal and research the company online and through the Better Business Bureau. Let the person know that you will call them if they have a service you are interested in. If the person is aggressive or causes you concern in any way, call the police.
January 17th at 10:30pm found police on Foul Bay Road at Camosun College with an impaired driver. The 31-year-old male had been pulled over for having a broken tail light and the officer noted that he had been drinking. A Road Side Screening Device was used to determine that the male’s blood/alcohol level was over 100mg%. He is now prohibited from driving for 90 days and his vehicle will be held for 30 days.
On January 19, shortly after noon, an Oak Bay Police Officer was conducting radar on Henderson Road. A 53-year old male was caught doing 80 km/h through the 30km/h playground zone and was stopped. His vehicle has been seized for 7 days and he was issued a $368 ticket.
It has been brought to the attention of the Oak Bay Police Department that the boat ramps (and parking lot) of Cattle Point are being used as a dumping ground for all manner of rubbish and waste. Wooden pallets (and their nails), trees, yard waste, household doors, fiberglass insulation and other renovation material are being dumped here in more frequent fashion. OBPD will be increasing its patrols of this area to attempt to curb this behaviour. The municipal bylaw dealing with dumping provides for a substantial fine to those caught in violation and there are even ramifications under the Criminal Code for the worst offenders. Members of the public are encouraged to call police of you witness any dumping of this sort. A licence plate of the vehicle involved and a description of the driver would be very helpful.
Lastly, the OBPD would like to enlist the help of the public to deal with a troubling case of “Found Property” at the University of Victoria. On December 18th, 2013, a blue knap-sack was recovered from an insecure locker in the Engineering and Computer Science building at UVic. The bag was found to contain a significant amount of money and also some material believed to be steroids with a significant street value if sold on that market. The Oak Bay Police Department would be appreciative of any information that the public may have in relation to this investigation. (File 13-4363)
Crime Stoppers can be called anonymously to provide any information you may believe that the police could benefit from. Their number is 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or they can be found on the Web at: www.victoriacrimestoppers.com
