Sunshine Coast RCMP reported the following for Aug. 24 to 31:
Break and enters
• Between Aug. 22 and 24, a thief gained entry to a residence in the 5900 block of Xw’eus Street, Sechelt and stole a number of items including a DVD/VHS player, a drum and a GPS unit. The file is still under investigation.
• Overnight on Aug. 31, thieves gained entry to a business in the 900 block of Gibsons Way by breaking a window. They disabled the alarm system and stole a small amount of cash and a large number of assorted new chainsaws. Police are reviewing surveillance camera footage. During the same timeframe, thieves gained entry to a business in the 1000 block of Venture Way, Gibsons, by breaking a window and disabling the alarm system. Nothing appears to have been stolen and no further damage was reported. Both files are still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Sunshine Coast RCMP at (604) 885-2266 or Crimestoppers, at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Mischief / theft
• Sometime in the last six months, vandals damaged a front-end loader stored in the area near Horsethief Road and Woolridge Road, Langdale. The vandal(s) smashed windows, stole an air-ride seat and damaged the transmission. Police are reviewing surveillance camera footage.
• On the evening of Aug. 26, a thief stole cash out of a purse that was left unattended on a counter at a business in the 400 block of Marine Drive, Gibsons. Police are reviewing surveillance camera footage.
• Overnight on Aug. 26, a vandal smashed a window of a business in the 200 block of Gower Point Road. No entry was gained and nothing was stolen.
• On Aug. 27, mischief to a vehicle was reported after the complainant advised he’d parked in a spot outside a business in the 5700 block of Cowrie Street, Sechelt. The driver of the next vehicle asked the complainant to move his vehicle so he could get his shopping cart right up beside his vehicle. The complainant refused as he was parked properly within the white lines but when he returned to his vehicle, found a long scrape along the length of his vehicle, indicating the other driver had pushed his cart between the two vehicles anyway. The file is still under investigation.
Scam / theft
• A Coast resident reported a new variation on a common scam after receiving a call from a woman who purported she worked for an anti-scamming group that was going after all the scammers phoning people in the area. Fortunately, the resident did not give the caller any personal or financial information. The phone number that showed up on caller ID goes to a service that allows long distance calls to be made using an Internet connection. Police advise people to be very wary of any cold callers purporting to be from any legitimate sounding business who ask for personal or financial information. See www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca to learn more about common scams.
Cats and crabs
• On Aug. 25, a caller reported a 20-foot extension ladder that had been found next to a trail behind Gibsons Elementary School. The caller was concerned, given the odd location for the ladder, that the item was stolen. Police attended and as the officer loaded the ladder into his vehicle, another resident approached him and advised it was her ladder and that it had been forgotten after it had been used to try to coax a cat, which had since climbed down on its own, from a nearby tree.
Search and rescue
• Around 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 28, Sunshine Coast RCMP received a report of a lost hiker in the area of the B&K forest service road in Roberts Creek. The hiker had notified his landlord that he got lost on a trail and would be late, but that he would hike out on his own. Police briefly made contact with him as his cell phone battery was dying, but were unable to get sufficient details from him, and could not confirm whether the male would in fact be able to safely find his way out. Search and Rescue was called out; however, shortly after midnight, police located the male back at his residence. Police want to remind the public that if a search is going on for you and you return home safely without the assistance of searchers, please contact your local police immediately to let them know you are safe. These events not only tie up police resources, but also needlessly call out the volunteer members of Search and Rescue.
