Good Day Block Watch Captains, Co-Captains & Participants,

West Vancouver Police have responded to 234 calls for service since our November 7th Update.

Click Here To View Updated West Vancouver Crime Alerts

Break-Ins – Make Sure You’re Home Is Secure When You’re Away

Another week & sadly more residential break-in reports illustrating important home security details to consider whenever you’ll be away.  Over the past week, Residential B&E reports were received from the Ambleside area, and from the Capilano Golf Club area of the Properties. 

In one report, a family returned from 2.5 weeks away to find suspects had broken through an upper floor glass door. Rooms throughout the home were ransacked with items including jewelry stolen.

In another report, police were called when a friend checked a home for a resident overseas and found the front door left unsecured. Officers determined suspects had broken in through a basement door, then apparently fled out the front door after stealing items from several rooms. A vehicle was stolen from the home and later recovered in Vancouver.

Unfortunately, security alarms were not active in either home, so officers could not respond at the time of the break-ins or have any firm indication of exactly when offences occurred.

If you have an alarm, ensure it is properly set before you leave, even for short periods of time. Review your alarm system and where you have intrusion sensors. Burglary suspects will very commonly target upper floor balcony doors or windows, betting that homeowners will only have intrusion sensors on ground level entry points. Motivated suspects can and will climb to upper-level entry points.

If you become aware of an offence in your neighbourhood area, we encourage you to review your own home surveillance system for any suspicious persons or activity. Please don’t hesitate to contact Police if you note anything of interest.

As neighbours and Block Watch participants, please remain watchful for any suspicious persons or activity, including any indication that a person or vehicle is lingering in the area for an unusual time, possibly casing or observing homes, or persons entering properties at unusual times of day or when you know neighbours are away.

Click Here To Review Our Recent Media Release Regarding Residential Break-ins

Vehicle Thefts

Along with a vehicle stolen in relation to a residential break-in, another Theft of Auto report was received from the Sentinel Hill area.   Please ensure your vehicles are secure with keys and fobs accounted for. Be aware of increasing reports from several jurisdictions of thieves managing to electronically duplicate keyless fobs to steal vehicles. When at home, keep your car key and any spares away from the car, doors, or windows. Consider storing your keys in a signal blocking pouch, such as a Faraday bag.

Thefts From Vehicles

Suspects intent on stealing from vehicles have been active across the District this week.  Five separate reports were received in one night from the Folkestone area of vehicles with windows smashed in apparent theft attempts. No items were confirmed stolen

Quick Call To Police – A Suspect In Custody

A response this week demonstrated once again that timely information can greatly assist officers responding to offences, even if the suspect manages to flee the District.  A report was received of a male stealing large amounts of merchandise from a sport/outdoor clothing retailer in the Marine Drive / Taylor Way area.  Security staff relayed a detailed suspect and vehicle description to police.  The information was immediately relayed to officers & our policing partners. The suspect was later spotted by North Vancouver RCMP officers who tracked the suspect to a safe arrest in Burnaby.

Anytime 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.  For updated crime alerts anytime click westvanpolice.ca/crime-alerts.  

Jeff Palmer

Block Watch & Operational Support Coordinator

West Vancouver Police t: 604-925-7300