The purpose of the Crime Beat is to educate and inform the public about some of the property crime trends occurring in South Delta and other files of interest. If you see anything occurring that you believe to be suspicious, call 911 for in-progress crimes and emergencies or 604-946-4411 for other assistance.
The following are some of the calls Delta police responded to in the previous week:
Tsawwassen
*March 22, 4:17 p.m., 5600 block 28th Avenue: Police attended a motor vehicle incident where a vehicle went into a ditch. Police spoke with the driver who admitted to consuming vodka prior to driving. Police could smell a distinct odour of liquor coming from the drivers’ breath and the driver was slurring their words. Police read an Approved Screening Device demand to the driver and they continued to bite, suck and purposefully attempt to delay providing a sample. Police clearly articulated how to appropriately provide a sample and the consequences of a refusal. The driver continued to suck or pretend to blow into the device and was unwilling to provide a sample. The driver was prohibited from driving, their drivers’ license was seized and was provided a 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition Refusal as well as a 30-day vehicle impoundment.
*March 23, 10:28 p.m., 100 block 56th Street: Complainant reported observing a large tree branch and debris that had fallen on to the side of the road. Police attended and were able to move the debris to the side of the road.
*March 24, 9:12 a.m., 600 block Gilchrist Drive: Complainant reported that a vehicle was parked contrary to a no parking sign. The complainant was concerned that the vehicle was a hazard as it was blocking visibility of the crosswalk. Police knocked on the residence of the owners’ vehicle a number of times but there was no answer. Police went and knocked on the door to the basement suite to check for the owner of the vehicle but again there was no answer. As police went to walk back up the steps from the basement suite, he was confronted with a large barking dog and their owner. Police asked the owner if their dog was friendly and the owner replied, “Don’t touch him and he won’t bite you.” Police then asked the owner two times to put his dog on a leash and the owner replied, “No, this is my backyard.” As the dog continued to bark at police, police explained to the owner that it was also for his dogs safety that he be put on a leash. The owner finally called his dog back up steps and police safely exited the backyard. Police then spoke with the owner who had been inside the main residence and asked them to move her vehicle.
*March 27, 1:02 p.m., Location Withheld: Complainant reported that a young male had been trying door handles around their residence. The complainant advised that the male would attend residences and try the handle before proceeding to the next. The complainant further advised that she now had a flyer on her door handle. Police conducted area patrols for the male and attended the complainants’ residence where she advised that she felt silly for making the call as she had a real-estate flyer left on her door handle. The complainant advised that she heard her door handle rattling before the male left. Police confirmed that houses up and down the block had a flyer for a local real estate agent hung on their door handles. The female was advised and was thankful for the police response.
Ladner
*March 23, 4:27 p.m., 4000 block Clarence Taylor Crescent: Complainant attended DPD headquarters to report a fraud. Investigation revealed that the complainant had provided his drivers’ license number and his credit card information to a caller posing as a phone company employee. The complainant became suspicious of the caller and immediately cancelled his credit card and filed a report with the appropriate sources. No money was lost, but police educated the male regarding phone scams and encouraged him to not provide any of his personal information over the phone.
*March 24, 10:17 a.m., 7500 block Highway 17: Police were conducting proactive controls when they observed a vehicle in the rear view mirror approaching at a high rate of speed of 112km/h in an 80 km/h zone. The vehicle then passed the member at an increasing rate of speed of 128 km/h. Police conducted a traffic stop where the driver was issued an excessive speeding ticket as well as their vehicle being towed.
*March 25, 1:11 a.m., 5000 block Ladner Trunk Road: An employee of a nearby business requested that police attend the parking lot of their workplace, while they closed the business and walked to their vehicle as there was a suspicious person in the parking lot. Police attended but were unable to locate the suspicious person. Police remained on scene until the employee made it to their vehicle and cleared the parking lot.
*March 25, 8:07 p.m., 700 block Belgrave Way: Complainant reported multiple vehicles in a parking lot, wrapped with “police” decals as well as having emergency lights. Police located the vehicles that were associated with the fake police cars in the area and a traffic stop was conducted. The parties advised that they were in the area for a video shoot and provided the phone number of who was in charge of the production. Police spoke to the producer on the phone, who agreed to meet police with the two “police” vehicles in question. The male advised that he was hired as a producer for a music video so they rented the two vehicles. Police explained that the vehicles could not be driven with the police decal exposed and the light bar activated. The vehicles were towed to their proper location.