Property crime is up significantly on the North Shore in recent months, with rates of residential break-ins in West Vancouver and thefts from vehicles in North Vancouver among those on the increase.
The hike in local property crime reflects a similar trend across the Lower Mainland, say police. And while numbers on the North Shore are still relatively low, police say they’re concerning.
“If I was to appear at council last year or even the year before I’d have been gloating about our stats,” North Vancouver RCMP Supt. Chris Kennedy told District of North Vancouver councillors recently. “I’m not gloating now.”
In North Vancouver, theft from autos in 2016 are up 40 per cent over 2015, with over 1,100 of those crimes reported to date compared to 791 last year.
Despite public perceptions that the Deep Cove area has been targeted, the majority of the thefts happened in Lynn Valley and Edgemont, say police. “Those are the two hot spots we’re focusing on,” said Cpl. Richard De Jong, spokesman for the North Vancouver RCMP.
Kennedy told local leaders at both city and district municipal halls the RCMP is putting resources into the problem, including making it a focus of the detachment’s “strike force” that targets prolific criminals. But the problem is complicated, he said.
“Hopefully within six months we’ve put a dent into it.”
Kennedy said police have up to 10 suspects on a “watch list.” He added investigators believe those responsible for most of the crime are coming over to the North Shore from areas like Surrey and the Downtown Eastside.
Statistically most of the thefts happen “Tuesday night at 2 o’clock in the morning,” he said.
But Kennedy said residents also need to do a better job of not providing criminals with easy opportunities.
“Up to 60 per cent of the vehicles that are broken into are unlocked,” he said. “Lock your car. It’s a very affluent community and people relax.”
Other crimes that are up in North Vancouver include residential break-ins, up 43 per cent over 2015, and bike thefts, up 13 per cent.
In West Vancouver, there’s been a similar trend, despite small numbers of crimes. Between January and September, there were 97 residential break-ins compared with 74 for the whole year in 2015, said Const. Jeff Palmer, spokesman for the West Vancouver police. Last year, West Vancouver was averaging six residential break-ins a month. This year, it’s 11.
Shoplifting, fraud and theft from vehicles are also up in West Vancouver.
“These are disappointing numbers. We’re doing everything we can to address it,” said Palmer.
Most thieves are targeting jewelry, electronics and anything else that can be grabbed quickly and easily. In the case of residential break-ins, thieves have got in through balcony doors and sliding doors to bedrooms, said Palmer. In some cases, the houses weren’t locked.
He suggested residents who have items of particular value consider storing them off their property, in a safety deposit box, for instance.
Both Palmer and Kennedy stressed the North Shore is still a safe community. “When we’re worrying about theft offences as our No. 1 issue, I hate to say it’s a good thing,” Kennedy told councillors.
To put it in perspective, in North Vancouver, “we’re only 2.5 per cent of the break-and-enters that occur in the Lower Mainland,” he said.
