• On Jan. 12, Sidney North Saanich RCMP received complaints from residents in the Allbay Road and Bigrock Road areas of Sidney that their vehicles had been broken into. Small items, including loose change and papers, were reportedly stolen.
In one case, a car door lock was jimmied to gain entry. In another, a thief smashed a car window and stole a Martin acoustic guitar. Several other vehicles had small areas of ice scraped off the windows likely by the thief so he could look inside the vehicles for anything of value.
One victim reported that she heard strange noises outside her home at around 4 a.m. which is probably when the thief was making his rounds.
The RCMP reminds the public to ensure they lock their vehicles and keep any valuable items out of sight. Citizens are also reminded to call the police if they should hear suspicious noises or see someone hanging around in the early hours of the morning who does not belong.
• At approximately 11:20 am on Jan. 12, Sidney North Saanich RCMP responded to a report of a Motor Vehicle Accident which had occurred in the intersection of Beacon Avenue and Resthaven Drive in Sidney.
The driver of a commercial dump truck was attempting to turn left onto Beacon Avenue when he struck an elderly man who was attempting to cross Beacon Avenue in the marked crosswalk on his motorized scooter.
The elderly man was transported to hospital with non-life threatening injuries while the driver of the dump truck was issued with a Violation Ticket under the Motor Vehicle Act.
• On the afternoon of Jan. 12, Sidney North Saanich RCMP responded to a possible assault in progress at the Victoria International Airport.
Upon arrival, police officers learned that a drunk male on a commercial flight from Calgary had been causing problems throughout the entire flight and was refusing to follow the direction of airline staff.
It turned out the male passenger was on his way to a rehab center located up island.
Further investigation revealed that there had been no physical assault but the male will likely be banned from the airline again due to his drunken and obnoxious behaviour.
Police officers escorted the male off the property and ensured he was picked up by his ride for transport to the rehab clinic.
• On Jan. 14, Sidney North Saanich RCMP responded to another complaint of counterfeit money being passed at a local business.
The note in this case was an American 50 dollar bill. The note was printed off center and missing the fine detail found on legitimate notes. The paper quality was also of very inferior quality.
Police officers are continuing to investigate and are attempting to identify the suspect.
Local businesses are asked to be extra careful when accepting American bank notes for payment and to visually inspect notes for security features found on legitimate currency.
• On the evening of Jan. 17, Sidney North Saanich RCMP responded to a complaint of a stolen vehicle, which occurred at the McTavish Road Park and Ride.
The owner of the vehicle said that he had parked his green and red, 1999, four-door Honda Civic at the Park and Ride located on McTavish Road in North Saanich earlier that day and then he took the bus into Victoria where he works.
Upon returning to the Park and Ride at the end of the work day, he discovered that his car had been stolen. Sidney North Saanich RCMP are continuing their efforts to locate the stolen vehicle.
— Sidney North Saanich RCMP