In the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, police say someone stole catalytic converters off of ambulances that were being repaired in Delta.
According to police, sometime between the evening of Thursday, March 26 and the morning of Tuesday, March 31, someone cut a hole in the fence of a business on Annacis Island and cut the catalytic converters off of four ambulances that were parked there while undergoing maintenance.
(Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story, based on Facebook posts by the Delta Police Department and Chief Neil Dubord on social media, said catalytic converters were stolen from three ambulances. Police have since confirmed the number is actually four.)
By the time the thefts were reported to police on March 31, all four ambulances had already been repaired.
“I am an optimistic person who usually see the good in most — otherwise I would not be in this profession. But it is on days like today I realize that criminals have no conscience,” Dubord wrote in a Facebook post on April 1.
“We need all of our ambulances on the road during the COVID-19 pandemic. … We want to support our health care partners by keeping them and their equipment safe.”
So far police have not identified any suspects or surveillance video that could help with the investigation.
“[It’s a] very frustrating crime, and particularly upsetting to see someone targeting ambulances at this time,” DPD public affairs manager Cris Leykauf said in an email.
Leykauf said catalytic converter theft is a growing problem here in Delta and unfortunately across Metro Vancouver, with 64 reported thefts in Delta last year.
“When we see a spike in thefts, we respond by stepping up patrols in that area,” Leykauf said. “We are also working with ICBC, as this of course is an issue for them as well.”
The DPD is also sharing information with other police departments and working with Crown counsel to determine what charges may apply should a suspect be found.
Anyone with any information that could assist police in their investigation is asked to call 604-946-4411 and quote file number 20-7051.
RELATED: Battery thefts on Delta’s Annacis Island down, but catalytic converter thefts still high (June 26, 2019)
SEE ALSO: Arrests prompt Delta police warning about catalytic converter thefts (June 7, 2019)
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