Victoria Police are looking to identify the suspect in a break-and-enter and theft incident at an underground parkade.
In a statement released Friday morning, VicPD says they received reports of a break-and-enter at an underground parkade in the 1000-block of View Street on Saturday, September 19.
The incident had occurred overnight, and the victim reported that their vehicle and storage locker, both located in the parkade, had been broken into.
They say the suspect stole $2,000 worth of property, including cycling gear, bicycle wheels, tools, and other items.
Police are now looking to identify the suspect, who is described as a slim, 30 to 40 year old white man standing 5’10” tall. At the time of the incident, he was wearing a dark hooded sweater, toque, and dark pants with reflective markings on the lower leg, and carrying a black and yellow backpack.
A video shared by VicPD catches the suspect in the act:
According to VicPD, break-and-enters at underground parkades in Victoria have risen by 40 percent in the first nine months of 2020, compared to last year.
In total, there have been 194 break-ins at parkades so far this year, compared to 137 over the same time period last year.
On Wednesday, police issued a statement saying the number of break-ins overall have doubled this year compared to 2019.
Officers suggested some key steps the public can take to protect themselves, including:
- Photograph bikes, important tech and tools, and record serial numbers. Email them to yourself to make for an easy to find record in the event they are stolen. Marking these items with contact information also makes it easy for officers to reach you when they recover your stolen property.
- Strengthen locks and lighting on sheds and storage areas. If an item is really high value, it may be safer inside your residence or unit.
- Never leave valuables inside a vehicle.
- Make your property friendly but clearly private with short hedges, plants, fences and lights.
- If you see someone suspicious in your underground parkade, call VicPD’s non-emergency line at 250-995-7654, extension 1.
Anyone with information about this particular incident is asked to contact VicPD at (250) 995-7654 and select option 1 for our Report Desk.
To report what you know anonymously, call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
