Cst. O’Connor participating in the Fort Street Scrub Up
Summer is in full swing in downtown Victoria and we have seen some great community events so far with many more to come. While everybody is coming downtown to take in the festivities, please remember a couple of important things when you come downtown.
We typically see an increase in theft from vehicles at this time of year. Whether it is a vehicle parked downtown or a vehicle on a residential street, vehicle owners need to take the appropriate steps to help prevent their vehicle from being broken into. Some of those steps include rolling up the windows, locking the doors, and removing any visible valuables. If you do fall victim to your vehicle being broken into, please report it to us either by phone or online at www.vicpd.ca.
In an effort to better inform people about how they can avoid being a victim of crime, our VicPD Reserve Constables and Volunteers will be continuing their involvement with the Lock-Out Auto Crime Program. In years past, this program has been a great way to inform people about how to prevent theft from vehicles. They regularly see money, smart phones, laptops and other expensive electronics all in plain view. If you find a Lock-Out Auto Crime notice on your vehicle this summer, that means that our volunteers were there to help remind you how you can reduce the chance of theft from your vehicle.
July also marks the start of our annual ICBC Counter Attack road blocks. VicPD officers will continue to focus their efforts on getting impaired drivers off of our roads. Our officers are still finding people making the decision to drive impaired. There are many options people can use to get home safely so we are again reminding people that drinking and driving is not acceptable.
Finally, our administrative officers are once again out patrolling the downtown core as part of the VicPD Downtown Summer Action Plan which runs throughout the months of July and August. If you see them, please feel free to say “hi.”
Cst. Matt Rutherford is the spokesperson and social media officer for the Victoria Police Department
Originally published in the Downtown Victoria Magazine
