Victoria police are alerting people to what they call a concerning uptick in the number of recent marine-related thefts.
Since mid-July, officers in Victoria and Esquimalt have attended to 14 thefts, targeting boats, kayaks, motorized vessels and engines.
Police are also asking the public for help in identifying a suspect in one of the incidents.
In the early hours of July 29, a 25-foot Zodiac boat was stolen from the Victoria International Marina, at the end of Cooperage Place. The boat was equipped with two new engines and was valued at over $100,000.
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At 6 p.m. the same day, the boat was found near Slack Point in Ladysmith and recovered by RCMP there. The owner was reunited with their boat, but the suspect remains outstanding.
He is described as a 35 to 40-year-old Caucasian man, standing 5’6″ tall and weighing 140 pounds. He was wearing a red hooded sweater and yellow shoulder bag on July 29 and was last seen riding a blue mountain bike in Ladysmith.
Officers are reminding people to secure their marine vessels and equipment and to report any suspicious activity.
Anyone with information can contact the VicPD report desk at 250-995-7654, ext. 1, or report anonymously to Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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