Good Day Block Watch Captains, Co-Captains & Participants, and Happy New Year!
West Vancouver Police have responded to 228 calls for service since our last update.
**Click Here For Updated Block Watch Crime Alerts At WestVanPolice.ca**
Winter Conditions
Please take care as you make your way around the community over the next several days. Forecasters advise the first significant cold snap of the season is upon us, with some flurries today, followed by 4 to 5 days of cold temperatures. As Block Watch participants, we work to look out for our neighbours. If you know any vulnerable residents in your neighbourhood, consider checking on them. Meantime, please drive safely & according to the conditions. Regardless of how much actual Winter the forecast delivers, our Patrol vehicles are all wheel drive & well equipped with winter tires. If you need police assistance, our officers will arrive to help you.
Residential Break-ins
Did your New Year’s Resolutions include taking time to review home & property security? If not, we urge you to do so. Unfortunately, the first Residential Break-In report of 2024 in the District involved the kind of vulnerabilities we frequently warn about. Residents arrived home in the Queens Avenue area above Dundarave after time overseas. They found thieves had smashed through a rear patio door while the family was away. Rooms throughout the home were targeted. No residential alarm or surveillance camera system was active at the home, so a precise time of the offence has not been determined.
If you plan to be away for any length of time, consider whether your home is adequately secured. If you have an alarm, ensure it is set when you are away. Review whether any accessible entry points have or need intrusion sensors. Our officers are ready to respond any time, day, or night. Our response can be greatly helped with timely alarm information.
Fraud
An unfortunate online Fraud was reported over the past week. A resident connected with a suspect through an online chat and was convinced they were communicating with a doctor working in Yemen for the United Nations. The communication continued until the victim was persuaded that the suspect urgently needed funds to get out of Yemen. Sadly, substantial money transfers were made before the victim realized they were being scammed. Please take great care interacting with anyone you only know from an online connection.
Click Here For Prevention Information on this Fraud from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
If you see any 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.
For updated crime alerts between our weekly updates click westvanpolice.ca/crime-alerts.
Jeff Palmer
Block Watch & Operational Support Coordinator
West Vancouver Police
t: 604-925-7363
