Retail thieves thawed in recent arrests

Richmond

2023-06-09 08:19 PDT

On May 16, 2023, Richmond RCMP Property Crime Unit (PCU) partnered with various retailers and theft prevention officers in locations throughout Richmond. The Boost and Bust initiative as it is known, has grown from humble beginnings and now includes small businesses, large grocery retailers, and the major shopping centers.

Retail theft continues as to be a concern as it costs retailers in lost revenue, affects community as consumers, and drives illicit underground economies.

Some interesting takeaways from our recent joint endeavor:

• 8 individuals were arrested throughout the day with 6 of them being from Richmond and 2 from Vancouver.
• 1 individual had 3 outstanding warrants – 2 from Richmond and 1 from UBC Detachment.
• Items stolen and recovered included clothing, liquor, Tylenol, and ice cream bars.
• Public transportation continues to be primary means of transportation for those coming into Richmond.

One individual was arrested twice in the span of 20 minutes at two different retailers. That is a definitely a repeat customer in our line of work says Corporal Dennis Hwang, Communications Officer, Richmond RCMP. We recall that the person arrested for stealing ice cream bars, 11 boxes to be exact, did not have any means to store temperature sensitive items. Had they thawed, that might have been a messy ordeal adds Cpl. Hwang.

If members of the public see something that they’d like to report to police, they can call Richmond RCMP at 604-278-1212.

Released by:

Email: richmond_media@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Website: richmond.rcmp.ca

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