More than $300,000 worth of stolen property has been recovered by the Mission RCMP’s Prolific Offender Suppression Team (POST) in the past week.
That number increases to over $500,000 in the first five weeks of 2018.
On Feb. 7, police responded to the sighting of a stolen semi-truck in the 30500 block of Silverhill Ave. in Mission. The POST team was able to locate the semi, stolen from Coquitlam, and an attached trailer, stolen from Maple Ridge.
Further investigation led police to believe that the semi and trailer were used to transport a large excavator. The investigation located the excavator in the area of Silverdale Ave. and Loftus St. Police believe the excavator may also be stolen, however the investigation is continuing.
In an unrelated investigation, on Feb. 9, POST members observed a suspect, Jason Burke, who police allege is prohibited from driving, operating a vehicle.
Police followed Burke where he was later arrested without incident. Further investigation led police to executing a search warrant in the area of 14th Ave. and Clegg St. where numerous stolen items, believed to be valued over $50,000, were located from thefts, and break and enters from throughout the Lower Mainland. Items included power tools, and an extensive collection of first edition comic books, for which the owner has been identified.
This is a significant seizure of stolen property, and it also included a firearm.
Burke has been charged with driving while disqualified, occupying a vehicle with a firearm, possession of stolen property, fail to comply with conditions of a recognizance (bail conditions), all for which he has appeared in court and was released on bail with further conditions.
“The team was created approximately two years ago and they have been consistently successful and have made such an impact that our property crime stats have gone down to the point where they positively affect the entire property crime stats in the Lower Mainland,” said Staff Sgt. Steve Crawford.
While the actual statistics have not been made public yet, they will be discussed during the public policing forum scheduled for Feb. 28 at the Mission Leisure Centre.
Mission RCMP wish to remind people to record their serial numbers for items such as tools, so that if they are stolen and located, they can be returned to the rightful owners, and the appropriate charges can be laid.