Good Day Block Watch Captains, Co-Captains & Participants,
West Vancouver Police have responded to 305 calls for service since our October 31st Update.
Click Here To View Updated West Vancouver Crime Alerts
Break-Ins
Our advisory urging action to check & bolster security & protective measures against residential burglaries should remain top of mind for you again this week. A friend checking an Ambleside area home for the owners who were overseas discovered a break-in. No alarm had been triggered by suspects. Yet again, suspects entered by smashing through an upper floor balcony window. Multiple rooms were ransacked
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.
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 your alarm is active and is triggered, we encourage you to carefully consider any decision to cancel the alarm prior to police attendance. An Eagle Harbour area homeowner chose to request cancellation of police attendance after a home alarm activation, believing it was a false alarm. The homeowner subsequently found pry marks on two doors from a break-in attempt. Fortunately, no entry was gained and nothing was stolen.
Theft
A quick call to police, suspects in custody. That was the outcome this week in the Marine Drive / Taylor Way area. Security staff quickly relayed details of a large-scale theft from a sports & outdoor clothing retailer. Patrol members responded & located three suspects. After a foot pursuit, all suspects were in custody with all stolen merchandise recovered.
Bear Safety
An urgent plea this week from our community partners at the North Shore Bear Society.
It remains the time of year when black bears are naturally seeking food sources ahead of hibernation. Among other locations, a family of bears has been particularly active in the Cross Creek, Highland Drive, Sentinel Secondary Area, and earlier this week the mother bear & cubs approached & entered one home left unsecure.
Our officers assisted in safely moving bears out of the home & back to a treed area using airhorns & other noise makers. It is vital for residents across the district to ensure bears are not able to access garbage or human foods inside storage sheds, garages, or homes.
Bears that become accustomed to human food sources lose their natural fear of humans, posing increased risk to the community, and putting bears themselves at greater risk losing their lives.
Click Here For More Information On Making Your Home & Property Bear Safe.
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
