Teamwork was key in a recent arrest by Burnaby RCMP’s prolific offender suppression team.
The investigation began in June, after two thefts from vending machines at Bill Copeland Arena were reported to local police. As police delved into the case, they determined three similar thefts had taken place in the city since May, according to a media release from RCMP.
The investigation continued, and investigators determined that in addition to the five recent thefts in Burnaby, similar thefts had also been reported in New Westminster and Richmond. The suspect was identified with the help of New Westminster police and the Victoria Police Department – as it turns out, the suspect had a lengthy criminal history in Victoria.
“This is an excellent example of police agencies liaising with one another and sharing information to quickly resolve crimes that are impacting multiple communities and businesses as this case did,” Insp. Kathy Hartwig, Burnaby RCMP Community Programs Officer, said in the release. “Crime rarely happens in silos. Often what we see happening in Burnaby, is happening in neighbouring municipalities.”
The 42-year-old suspect, from Surrey, was arrested and charged with 10 counts of theft, including six counts connected to Burnaby incidents.
