Campbell River Crime Stoppers is calling on locals for help, as they get the word out about vehicle and bicycle thefts around town.
This comes after a maroon 2007 Chrysler Pacifica was stolen from the Mae Mae Motel parking lot on 19th Ave. on Oct. 5, Crime Stoppers says.
The thief was caught on a security cam approaching the vehicle with keys in hand. They then got into the vehicle and sped off.
Crime Stoppers shared the video to Twitter:
Theft Of Vehicle / File #21-14088
We posted this vehicle that was stolen October 5th, 2021 from the Mae Mae Hotel in Campbell River & here is the video of this incident. Any anonymous tip can be helpful that could lead police is the right direction. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/l3OIh94Dyq
— crcrimestoppers ?? (@CrimestoppersCR) October 18, 2021
“We realize that this person isn’t necessarily identifiable,” adds Crime Stoppers, “though maybe somebody knows something that could lead police in the right direction as to a suspect involved, or to locate and recover this vehicle.”
As well, more recently, early this morning (Oct. 19), Crime Stoppers says a break and enter occurred at Swicked Cycles Ltd. on Spruce St. A yellow 2017 Norco Sight C9 with full suspension was stolen from the store.
Anyone who sees the stolen vehicle or bicycle is asked to call the police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS). Anonymous tips can also be submitted online here.
Bicycle theft on the rise in Campbell River:
Last month, Cst. Maury Tyre with the Campbell River RCMP said officers were dealing with a spike in bicycle theft.
He urged locals to keep their two-wheelers stored away and locked up, while also pointing to the importance of making sure bike owners write down correct serial numbers. That’s because it’s the one thing that can’t be altered.
“Unfortunately, a description of the bicycle is relatively useless as we are aware that many of them are painted almost immediately or parted onto different bicycles so they do not appear the same. The only thing that remains constant is that serial number,” Tyre explained.
He continued, “Sadly, after a paint job and parting out it’s extremely difficult to tell whether we are looking at a bike worth thousands or a hundred.”
Tyre also urged locals to store their bikes inside if possible. He recommends using high-end locks and chains, locking up bicycles to something that’s “extremely solid.” More details here.
