Mission – The snapshot of some of the work they did that week:
- Calls for service that week: 353
- Proactive patrols of identified hot spots: 12
- Curfew checks: 46
Calls of interest:
A Mission RCMP Traffic Services officer was positioned on Highway 11 near the London Avenue off-ramp on the evening of March 20, monitoring the speeds of vehicles coming into Mission. A black Ford F-150 caught his eye around 9:30 pm, as it was clearly travelling well over the posted 60 km/hr speed limit. The officer’s handheld laser device confirmed the vehicle was moving at 112 km/hr – more than 50 km/hr over the posted limit. The 17-year-old female driver from Mission was issued a ticket for excessive speed, and received a 7-day impound. The next evening, the same officer was on Lougheed Highway near Chester Street, when he spotted a grey Dodge Ram 1500 going 143 km/hr in the 80 km/hr zone, and cutting off other vehicles as it weaved between lanes. The 50-year-old male driver from Surrey also received a ticket for excessive speeding and a 7-day impound.
Around 2:20 am on March 21, a witness reported a car on fire near the intersection of Nelson Street and Gill Avenue. The car – a white 2021 Hyundai Elantra sedan – was later confirmed to have been stolen from Surrey the day before. Anyone who saw that vehicle or any other suspicious vehicles in the area of Nelson Street on the night of March 20-21 is asked to call Mission RCMP at 604-826-7161, file 26-3526.
Mission RCMP were notified around 12:50 pm on March 21 that a grey GMC Yukon had crashed into a fence along North Railway Avenue, and was continuing to spin its tires. Police arrived and found the driver experiencing an apparent medical emergency, which is believed to have caused the collision. The 63-year-old male was transported to hospital, and his dog in the vehicle was turned over to the SPCA for safe keeping.
Staff at the Mission Library called police on March 18, due to a man that was yelling and swearing at library staff, and saying that he believed that police were going to kill him. Mission RCMP officers attended and spoke with the man, who appeared to be experiencing a mental health crisis, possibly aggravated by the use of methamphetamines. Officers worked to de-escalate the man, then took him to the hospital for mental health care. Mission RCMP’s Mental Health Liaison officer was notified, and is working with health-care providers on a long-term strategy for the 52-year-old man.
Power was knocked out to a considerable number of homes in the area of Stave Lake Street at Knight Avenue around 2:15 am on March 20, after a blue 2007 Pontiac G6 crashed into a power pole at that location, bringing it down onto the street. A witness saw several young adults fleeing the scene after the crash. Mission RCMP were able to determine that the car had been occupied by a 20-year-old male driver and two teenaged female passengers. The driver received tickets for failing to remain at the scene of a collision, and speeding relative to the conditions. Anyone who is in a crash involving a power pole or where electrical wires are compromised, is encouraged to remain in the vehicle and await instructions from first responders, as exiting a vehicle unnecessarily could expose you to a deadly electrical shock.
The Mission Fire Rescue Service and the Mission RCMP attended the parking lot of Centennial Park on the morning of March 19, after the driver of a garbage truck noticed the garbage was on fire. The driver quickly dumped the load into the parking lot, so as not to risk catching the truck itself on fire, and the fire department was then able to put out the burning material. This is a good reminder that flammable materials such as oils, gasoline and propane cylinders should not be put in with your household garbage. If you need information on how to dispose of flammable or hazardous items, visit the City of Mission’s website, and download the Recycling Coach App.
On the evening of March 20, a Loss Prevention Officer at a grocery store in Mission called police after observing a man fill his backpack with various items from the cosmetics aisle, phone cables, and hand wipes. Just as police arrived, the man walked out of the store without paying, and was promptly arrested. The 37-year-old man from Mission was found to have nearly $350 of stolen goods with him…as well as an arrest warrant related to a shoplifting incident in Abbotsford, where he is alleged to have taken over $600 of items. He was taken into custody without incident.
On the afternoon of March 22, a man from Maple Ridge was off-roading up the Lost Creek Forest Service Road (north of Sylvester Road in Hatzic), when he came across a group of males associated to a Toyota Echo or Corolla, shooting a shotgun. The man told them that it was a no-shooting area, at which time one of them reportedly threatened the man with the gun. Mission RCMP attended and located three different Toyota Corollas in the area, but none were confirmed to match the group involved in the incident. Anyone wanting to go shooting in the wilderness should first check the No Shooting Areas map on the FVRD website, as shooting is prohibited in most of the accessible areas of the Lost Creek Forest Service Road. If you see someone shooting or taking part in other illegal activity on one of our local Forest Service Roads, ensure you move to a safe place, then immediately report the matter to police. Photographs, license plate numbers or vehicle descriptions are helpful, but do not put yourself in potential danger by trying to confront someone or gather evidence. As the weather improves this time of year, Mission RCMP will be increasing their presence in backcountry areas throughout the region.
