21581 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

police press release contains a long paragraph about why they had to release this cockroach back out same day.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 13 October 2021 - 05:57 PM.

[Nparker]

Yeah that was pretty nauseating.

[Mike K.]

Statement from Sooke RCMP on today's fire:

On October 13, 2021, at 5:30 a.m., the Sooke RCMP were requested to assist Sooke Fire Department with a structure fire on Otter Point Road. RCMP members arrived on scene and communication with Sooke Fire quickly revealed that there was no power to the involved structure and, as such, the fire was considered suspicious in nature. Sooke RCMP initiated an Arson investigation which is in its early stages, and ongoing.

 

Anyone travelling Otter Point Road between 2:00 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. is asked to report any observations or dash camera footage to the Sooke RCMP in person or by phone at 250-642-5241.

The recent structure fire on Otter Point Road is considered the fourth suspicious fire to occur within the District of Sooke in the last 2 months. All four fires have been in a similar geographic area, all within walking distance from the downtown core.

 

On August 11, 2021 a suspicious fire occurred at an abandoned / unoccupied structure on Eustace Road. A second fire was discovered by police at the same location on September 18, 2021. On September 27, 2021, Sooke RCMP and Sooke Fire responded to a fire inside a derelict and abandoned vehicle at an abandoned / unoccupied residence on Townsend Road.

 

“Clearly a pattern of suspicious fires has been established and investigators are working to identify a suspect and in turn, prevent further person-caused fires in our community,” said Sergeant Kevin Shaw, Operations Commander for the Sooke RCMP.

 

“Each fire has been reported in the late night or early morning hours, and the Sooke RCMP encourage members of the public to report any information about the fires, or any suspicious activities to the Sooke RCMP. While each of these fires have involved unoccupied property, they still pose an obvious risk to the public and to the emergency services called to respond,” added Sgt. Shaw.

[pontcanna]

-Nice one - get the cop to risk his/her own safety when the drunk driver knew nobody was there...

 

Man arrested for impaired driving after plunging truck down boat launch in Cowichan Bay: RCMP

October 13, 2021

Mounties dove into the frigid waters of Cowichan Bay to rescue what they thought was a woman trapped inside a submerged truck Tuesday night, but the vehicle turned out to be empty, according to RCMP.

Officers were called to the Hecate Park boat ramp after receiving a report at around 7:45 p.m. that a white pickup truck drove down the ramp and into the ocean “with an unknown number of people inside,” RCMP said in a news release.

Arriving officers were told by a man seen exiting the truck that his girlfriend was still inside the submerged vehicle.

One officer dove into the water and swam down to the vehicle to rescue her, but it was determined that the vehicle was empty.

 

More: https://www.cheknews...ay-rcmp-899717/

[Midnightly]

VicPD arrested an armed man outside of a multi-unit supportive housing facility in downtown Victoria on Monday.

Just before 4 a.m. on Monday, October 11th, officers responded to a 9-1-1 call that a man was allegedly firing a handgun outside a multi-unit supportive housing facility in the 800-block of Johnson street.

All available officers responded to the area and located the suspect standing outside the building firing what appeared to be a handgun.

Several people fled the area and no one was injured.


https://www.victoria...using-facility/



Upon his arrest, the suspect told officers he was an opioid-user experiencing an overdose. Officers administered naloxone until paramedics arrived and transported him to hospital.

 

 

that's a new one to me... an overdose causing a person to shoot a gun in the air and around people... that sounds more like a bad trip...maybe i'm naive in the way of overdoses but i thought they usually caused a person to pass out, go into shock, cause heart/breathing problems....

[pontcanna]

'I hate to ask': How a fraudster manipulated a Colwood single mother out of tens of thousands of dollars

Christine Hale says she lost as much as $100,000 to a man who told her he loved her while inventing lawyer fees and death threats

By Zoë Ducklow - October 14, 2021



Steven Vanbuskirk was Christine Hale’s first love. At 16, he was the first person who told her she was pretty and made her feel like she mattered. She was badly bullied in high school, and latched on quickly to his affection. She remembers a night out bowling with friends; she and Vanbuskirk wandered off and talked for three hours. She felt special, connected.

They had a child together a year later, a son who’s now in his 20s. Their relationship didn’t last for long, but they stayed in touch and were on friendly terms. They both married other people, and then both got divorced. Hale has two children from another partner, now 11 and nine.

She said she never got over Vanbuskirk, though. In December 2015, he was struggling financially and planning to move back to the Westshore. So she offered him her couch, happy to help him get on his feet. He didn’t pay rent or help with bills, but was helpful around the house, and the kids liked him. He couldn’t keep a job, but it was never his fault, and it seemed like he was trying. Their romance rekindled.

 

Vanbuskirk and Hale, both teenagers, at the birth of their son. Hale has redacted the baby's face with an emoji. 

In the early days, she remembers a simple night of making dinner at home. “We were just cooking together, and the camaraderie and the laughter—it just felt amazing. I was so happy. I really felt wonderful and like we were a real family. But then, it was nothing tangible, it was always just words,” she said, looking back.

“I had gotten out of a bad marriage, and when he came along it was like, ‘Oh my god, I didn’t know things could be this good.’ Until it wasn’t.”

Instead of the rekindling of her first love, Hale was in for a months-long series of increasingly expensive demands for money, sometimes to pay for understandable costs, and other times to cover costs that in retrospect sound insane to Hale. It all amounted to $100,000, first from her savings and then going deep into debt, and left the mother of three facing bankruptcy alone.

 

More: https://www.capitald...le-mother-fraud

 

 

[Victoria Watcher]

Victoria police are asking for witnesses and video of vandalism that happened last week that has elements of a hate crime.

https://www.vicnews....-as-hate-crime/

On Oct. 5, officers were called to the 700-block of Pembroke Street after a resident of the area reported that two vehicles had been vandalized with spray paint. The targeting and vandalism meet the standard of investigating it as a hate-motivated incident or hate crime, VicPD said.

Police added that such targeting is illegal in Canada and they’re trying to identify the suspect(s) involved.





whatever. pretty sure VicPD never solves any of these crimes. However they label them.

Nothing on the captain cook statue?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 14 October 2021 - 06:04 PM.

[pontcanna]

Airbnb Break & Enter in Victoria October 14, 2021

 

Hey Greater Victoria & Airbnb Owners

 

We are putting this out to warn you about a recent VicPD file where these 2 suspects rented a local Airbnb and stole 2 high end bikes belonging to the owners, after using the key fobs to gain access to their storage lockers.

 

 

Sadly, for these two suspects, we can share their pictures with you all so we can identify them and have them arrested.

 

If you are an Airbnb owner, please ensure that the renters only have access to what they need and if you have key fobs, please disallow access to things such as storage lockers.

 

If you know who either of these suspects are and you want to tell us their names anonymously, please click the ‘Submit A Tip’ button above, or call 1-800-222-8477.

 

VI #21-40772

 

 

[pontcanna]

Sooke RCMP arrest Victoria man alleged to have committed an indecent act near Sooke’s Edward Milne high school

 

A Victoria man has been arrested and charged in relation to an alleged indecent act on Wednesday afternoon near a high school.

 

Just after noon on Wednesday October 13, frontline officers from the Sooke RCMP were called to investigate several reports of a man who was allegedly seen committing an indecent act in a truck, parked near a high-school located in the 6200-block of Sooke Road.

 

“Prior to police arrival the man had fled, however witness reports were instrumental in allowing officers to identify the man,” states Sgt. Kevin Shaw of the Sooke RCMP. “Later the same evening, officers located the truck and driver, Andrew Durant, 34, of Victoria, was arrested without incident and held in custody until his court appearance today. He has been remanded into custody until his next appearance on October 21, 2021."

 

On October 14, 2021 the BC Prosecution Service approved one count of committing an indecent act in a public place in relation to the incident.

 

Sgt. Shaw states, “We have been in close contact with the school administration and provided them relevant information to help ensure student safety.”

 

Anyone who was a witness to the incident and has not already spoken with police is asked to contact the Sooke RCMP at 250-642-5241.

 

Link: https://digitaltimes...281522229275977

 

[pontcanna]

Would appear that our hero has "form", as recently as last year. On that occasion he got 120 days' jail and 3 years probation.

 

[Victoria Watcher]

we need to invest in more safe ******* *** spaces.

[Mike K.]

If you are an Airbnb owner, please ensure that the renters only have access to what they need and if you have key fobs, please disallow access to things such as storage lockers.

 

If you know who either of these suspects are and you want to tell us their names anonymously, please click the ‘Submit A Tip’ button above, or call 1-800-222-8477.

 

 

How do you do that? Can one fob be barred from accessing things like the lockers? I don't think I've ever heard of customization like this.

 

But this speaks to Sebberry's comment regarding AirBnB and risk. 

[sebberry]

How do you do that? Can one fob be barred from accessing things like the lockers? I don't think I've ever heard of customization like this.

 

But this speaks to Sebberry's comment regarding AirBnB and risk. 

 

Just have to ask the strata to set up additional key fobs to only have access to certain areas.  This is pretty fundamental to simple access control systems.  

 

But... without access to the bike room, where do guests put their bikes?  If they arrived by car, do they have access to the garage?  If someone bad wants access to these areas, they'll get in regardless.  There's always someone who holds the door open for a stranger.

 

My bigger beef is condo developers who think chicken coop storage cages are a suitable substitute for an extra 20 sq feet of storage in the unit itself.  

[sebberry]

I always get suspicious of "moving sales" advertised on Used Vic, facebook marketplace, etc...  AirBnB guest selling all the host's stuff?

[Mike K.]

My bigger beef is condo developers who think chicken coop storage cages are a suitable substitute for an extra 20 sq feet of storage in the unit itself.  

 

I think the chicken coop style is long gone. Modern storage units are made out of much thicker and sturdier metal. But if a thief can cut through thick bike locks then some metal grates won't stop them.

 

The condo storage thing is more as a nice-have, but if you really need more storage it should be at a monitored storage facility. Or strata can pay for a concierge to monitor the storage areas and the building entrance 24/7. That's also an option.

[Victoria Watcher]

If you have high ceilings in your condo you can install netting about a foot down in your place. Your square footage x 1 cubic foot. Plenty of room for the golf clubs.

[sebberry]

I think the chicken coop style is long gone. Modern storage units are made out of much thicker and sturdier metal. But if a thief can cut through thick bike locks then some metal grates won't stop them.

 

The condo storage thing is more as a nice-have, but if you really need more storage it should be at a monitored storage facility. Or strata can pay for a concierge to monitor the storage areas and the building entrance 24/7. That's also an option.

 

 

Rented storage lockers are for people who don't mind throwing away money.  I had one or a while when I rented out my spare bedroom and we wanted a little extra space to store stuff.  Trust me, it would have been cheaper and a lot less hassle to just buy a new air conditioner each year and throw it away when done at the end of summer than store it on the other side of town.  

[Mike K.]

Why do people need so much stuff? Less can be so much more!

[Barrrister]

We are dying of boredom these days. Any winter covid safe activities that you can suggest? HELPPPP

[Mike K.]

Why not rent an AirBnB in Tofino, or something?