The Trail RCMP phone line was burned up last weekend with 71 calls for service over 72 hours.
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It appears that, once again, theft from unlocked vehicles was at the top of the list of reported offences.
One case, however, serves a good reminder that a locked vehicle is the best defence against this type of opportunistic petty crime.
Sgt.Mike Wicentowich says the Trail and Greater District RCMP received three reports of suspects trying unsuccessfully to break into locked vehicles, in addition to multiple reports of items stolen from unlocked vehicles parked in various neighbourhoods.
“The locked vehicles deterred the thefts,” he said in an Aug. 13 news brief.
“The RCMP remind the public that thieves are activity targeting unlocked vehicles and their contents.”
Police are also advising the public that unsecured credit cards and debit cards with the ‘tap” result in further criminal acts when used by the suspects.
“The RCMP have to invest significant additional investigation times over small amounts of money being charged to the cards through the ‘tap’ function used at local business,” Wicentowich said.
“Please take steps to secure your credit and debit cards in order to prevent these types of crime from occurring.”
Theft from Vehicles
• Aug. 9, two fishing rods and a tackle box were stolen from an unlocked vehicle in the 2100 block of Topping Street sometime during the night.
• Aug. 9, a wallet containing a B.C. driver’s licence, a credit and debit card, and other cards were stolen from an unlocked vehicle in the 1900 block of Fifth Avenue, in Trail.
• Aug. 10, a wallet containing a credit card and a ring were stolen from an unlocked vehicle in the 1600 block of Main Street in Trail, between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. The RCMP conducted an investigation into the use of the stolen credit card and arrested a 39-year-old Trail resident for Possession of Property Obtained by Crime … and Use of a Credit Card. The man is scheduled for his first appearance in Rossland Provincial Court on Oct. 10.
• Aug. 12, a wallet containing a B.C. driver’s licence, a BC Care Card, two credit cards, and two debit cards was stolen from an unlocked vehicle around 6:30 a.m. in the 1900 block of Fifth Avenue, in Trail. A neighbour spotted the suspect breaking into the vehicle and chased him off. The suspect is described as an average build, wearing black clothes, a black baseball hat, with his face covered.
Failure to exchange information
• Aug. 9, Trail and Greater District RCMP received a report at 12:30 p.m. of a motor vehicle incident between two vehicles on Second Avenue and Highway 3B, in Trail. The driver of a black sedan (possibly an Impala) involved in the incident failed to provide his information to the other party before leaving the scene. The RCMP are requesting the driver of the black sedan or anyone with information on his identity to contact the detachment at 250.364.2566.
Rental fraud
• Aug. 9, Trail and Greater District RCMP received a report of a rental fraud from a 37 year-old Rossland man. Police say he sent a $500 “safety deposit” via email to an unknown person who had promised to rent him a residence in Castlegar. The man later discovered that there was no rental and he had been the victim of a fraud. The RCMP remind the public to not send money electronically unless you know and trust the other party. In tight rental markets, these scams become much more frequent and it may be difficult to recover money paid out electronically.
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