Mission (Mission RCMP) – Here’s a snapshot of last week:
Calls for service last week: 296
Proactive patrols of identified hot spots: 30
Curfew checks: 46
Calls of interest:
An organization in Mission called police on March 2, to report a fraud. The organization’s accountant received an email in early February, which appeared to be from one of their employees, asking the accountant to change their direct deposit information. The email was determined to have been a scam after the employee contacted the accountant weeks later, saying he had not received his previous two paycheques. Businesses are encouraged to take steps to verify that any emails requesting changes in direct deposit accounts or payment methods are in fact authentic, as fraudsters can easily make emails appear to be from a genuine employee or client. The investigation into this fraud is ongoing.
An astute witness at a store along London Avenue called police after seeing a man wearing a face mask exit a side door of the store, pushing a shopping cart of stolen items. The witness kept an eye on the man from a distance while speaking with a police call-taker, helping to point police in the right direction. An officer with the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Police Service was in the area, and spotted the suspect entering a nearby grocery store. That officer entered the grocery store and observed the suspect quickly changing his clothes, then trying to leave the store. The officer arrested the suspect, and turned him over to Mission RCMP. The suspect was arrested for theft, and was also determined to have an outstanding warrant for a previous crime committed in Vancouver. He was held in custody for a bail hearing.
On March 9, Mission RCMP arrested a 37-year-old woman who had committed a number of recent offences. She reportedly shoplifted from a grocery store multiple times over the past month, shoplifted from a pharmacy on at least two occasions, threatened to kill a Loss Prevention Officer on two occasions, breached her conditions, and threatened to kill a police officer. Mission RCMP have recommended to the court that she not be released from custody.
On the afternoon of March 4, Mission RCMP’s Crime Reduction Unit pulled over a grey Hyundai Elantra, after observing it to be involved in apparent drug trafficking. The 25-year-old male driver, and his 21-year-old male passenger were both arrested for possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. Police then searched their car and located suspected crack cocaine, Fentanyl, pills, cash, and other items consistent with drug trafficking. Both men were determined to have overstayed their visitor visas in Canada, and were transported to a jail cell at the request of the Canada Border Services Agency. The investigation is ongoing.
Witnesses at a restaurant on Lougheed Highway called police after seeing two suspicious males in the parking lot. One of the males reportedly had a ski mask and a hammer with him, while the other had a can of bear spray. Mission RCMP located the suspects at a convenience store along 1st Avenue, and arrested both of them for possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. Both men are well-known to police, and one was recently released from prison. A small quantity of drugs was seized from the men. As police could not link the men to any recent crime, both were released from custody.
On the lighter side:
With April Fool’s Day not far off, let’s take a moment to be frank about pranks. Practical jokes, good-natured mischief, pranks and other antics all have the potential to be fun and funny, but also have the potential to be alarming and hurtful. A manager at a workplace in Mission recently reported to police that one of her employees had found an envelope on her desk with her name on it. When she opened it up, she was surprised to find that it was filled with an unknown white powder. Mission RCMP attended and were in the process of examining the item, when another employee confirmed that she left the envelope as a prank, and never intended it to attract police attention. The white powder inside the envelope turned out to be flour, and no ill-will was meant. Although this prank was harmless, it was clearly not received in the manner intended – which is not uncommon. Whether it be a mysterious note left on someone’s car, an item left outside a house, or a phone call with a disguised voice, if the target of the prank has no idea who is on the other side of it, or they don’t find the matter funny at all, they might become concerned, scared, or even report the matter to police, when in fact the prankster may have thought they were only playing a harmless joke on a friend. While there’s nothing wrong with having a bit of fun, just ensure you know your audience (the result will be way better if it’s something you can laugh about together later on!), and ensure that you think it through, so the person you’re pranking won’t get frantic over your antics!
Ways to connect with Mission RCMP:
Emergency: 911
Non-emergency: 604-826-7161.
Online crime reporting: https://ocre-sielc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/mission/en
Keep up with more news on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RCMPMission
