September News from the Comox Valley RCMP
Young people received plenty of tickets over the summer
The Comox Valley RCMP were busy handing out tickets to young people over the summer – positive tickets! Young people in the Comox Valley were targeted by police for their safe and healthy activities over the summer. “Some of the youth being stopped by police thought they had done something wrong, before being applauded for what they were doing right” said Cst. Monika Terragni, Comox Valley RCMP. “It was a real pleasure seeing the looks on their faces when they were handed a positive ticket from one of our local businesses right here in the Valley” she added. The Comox Valley RCMP would like to thank the following local businesses for their participation in the program this year:
- McDonald’s Restaurants (Comox Valley)
- 7-Eleven
- Courtenay Recreation
- Comox Community Centre
- Subway Restaurants (Comox Valley)
- Tim Horton’s (Comox Valley)
- Dairy Queen
- Codes Country Lanes
Comox Valley RCMP want residents to lock their vehicles
If you do not want to be a victim of theft – lock up your valuables and keep them out of view. The Comox Valley RCMP is reminding residents to keep their vehicles locked up – these thefts are preventable. In the month of September there was over 65 reports of thefts from unlocked vehicles and/or valuable items being left in view.
Items that were stolen from vehicles this month include: wallets (10 of them), identification, credit cards, tools, iPods, laptops (5 of them), knives, machetes, a speaker, wifi sticks, clothing, GPS systems, Apple air pods, a rifle, bear spray, sunglasses, and archery equipment. In one instance, the suspect(s) stole a garage door opener from the vehicle, used it to access the garage and stole a bicycle (2019-13794). All of the stolen property, cash, and subsequent fraud added up to a more than eighteen thousand (18,000) dollar loss in our community this month.
Our community can work together to prevent crime – lock up your valuables, keep them out of view, and call police right away if you see anything suspicious in your neighbourhood. For more tips on preventing theft, please visit our RCMP website.
Stolen bike returned to youth
On September 16, 2019 a bicycle was stolen from the Lake Trail Middle School in Courtenay. The suspect was caught on camera a short distance away and has now been identified by police. The bicycle was recovered on September 30, 2019 and has been returned to very happy youth. The 29-year old suspect, recently moved to Courtenay is expected to be facing a theft charge in the coming weeks. (2019-14615)
Suspicious person reported, suspect facing charges
On September 27, 2019 at approximately 2:45 a.m. the Comox Valley RCMP received a report of a possible theft from a vehicle, in progress. Frontline members went to the area and were able to locate and arrest a suspect. Richard HANES has been charged with theft under $5000, possession of stolen property under $5000, possession of a controlled substance (x2), and possession and break in tools. (2019-15223)
Tip from the Traffic Section
The Comox Valley RCMP Municipal Traffic Section is now offering tips to our residents. These tips come from what they are seeing on our roads here in the Comox Valley. School has been back for a month now and police have received several reports about drivers failing to stop for school buses. Drivers cannot pass school buses while their stop lights and stop signs are activated (Section 149 of the Motor Vehicle Act) and drivers approaching a school bus from the opposite direction are also required to stop. This law applies on all undivided roads. The fine for failing to yield to a school bus is $368.00.
If you have any information regarding any of these incidents, or any other crime, please contact the Comox Valley RCMP at 250-338-1321. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Comox Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online. When reporting through Crime Stoppers, you never have to identify yourself or testify in court, and you could receive a cash reward for your information.