Police team arrests three in recent focus on property crime

Delta: In the public survey Delta Police conducted in late 2018, the prevention and detection of property crime was one of the top issues the public identified – particularly in terms of areas where the police can improve their response.

So we thought we would share some recent highlights from the Patrol Support Team. This team is made up of plainclothes and uniform police officers and their focus is hot spot policing, prolific offenders, and tracking down people with outstanding warrants. “Officers on this team aren’t part of our regular patrol platoons, so have more time to focus on problem areas, or specific suspects, rather than going from call-to-call,” explains Cris Leykauf, spokesperson for Delta Police.

There have been a few successes throughout Delta recently. On Wednesday, April 3 Patrol Support Team officers were conducting surveillance on two suspects linked to a problem residence associated to drug and property crime. The suspects were travelling between Delta and Surrey, and officers observed them shoplift items from a store on 72 Ave in Surrey, near the Delta border. Shortly after police intercepted and arrested the two suspects, also seizing break in tools and a weapon. Police were able to recover stolen sporting goods which were returned to the store.

On Friday, April 5 the team was at Tsawwassen Mills after 8 p.m. and checked in with a security guard. The guard indicated there was a suspicious man inside a store, whom he believed was actively stealing merchandise. Officers entered the store, and formed a suspicion that the man had put a number of items of clothing into a backpack. The man exited the store and attempted to leave the mall, but instead was promptly taken into police custody. A search of the backpack revealed clothing, believed to be stolen, along with other miscellaneous items suspected to be stolen from another store in the mall. The stolen merchandise was returned to the stores.

Minutes later, Patrol Support Team officers located a person suspected to be an accomplice of the man who had just been arrested. The accomplice was also arrested. When police searched the suspect they discovered high-end beauty products and clothing. All the items were confirmed to be merchandise from the mall. Both men were confirmed to have travelled into Delta to commit these crimes, and were identified as prolific property crime offenders.

“The Patrol Support Team is an important pillar of Delta Police’s approach to providing service to our community,” explains Leykauf. “We know how frustrating property crime can be for the public. We want them to know we’re continuing to focus on hot spots like problem residences, and that officers are doing everything they can to ensure these offenders know they’re not welcome here.”