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West Shore
2023-08-31 11:56 PDT
File # 2023-17618
On August 29, a West Shore RCMP Frontline officer was patrolling near the 700 block of Goldstream Ave in Langford, when they noticed a disturbance between several people on the sidewalk at this location.
Simultaneously, the West Shore RCMP received a call of two people fighting on the street. As the officer approached the scene, one male broke free and began running away. The officer ran after the male and arrested him without further incident for causing a disturbance.
As police investigated further, they learned the male suspect (already in police custody), was also suspected of shoplifting from nearby Fairway Market just minutes earlier. A staff member from the store followed the male outside and confronted him, the male suspect then began physically fighting with the staff member.
The victim sustained minor injures and is expected to recover. The suspect was arrested for assault and theft under $5000, he was later released on an Undertaking an must comply with several conditions including to not attend any Fairway Markets.
The West Shore RCMP has seen an increase in calls for service relating to offences against property in the first half of this year compared to the previous year as highlighted in the recent biannual report. From January 1-June 30, 2022, West Shore RCMP received 1291 calls for service related to offences against property, vs 1673 calls for service of the same variety in the same time period in 2023. That’s a 30% increase in calls for service relating to offences against property which include, but are not limited to shoplifting offences.
Police encourage business owners and staff to exercise caution before approaching anyone suspected of shoplifting. Instead, timely reporting of the incident to police while maintaining a safe distance will allow police time to respond to and address the incident without putting yourself at risk.
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Email: westshore_media@rcmp-grc.gc.ca Website: westshore.rcmp-grc.gc.ca (English only)
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