THE Surrey RCMP arrested three people in three separate cases involving stolen vehicles over a 2.5-hour period on August 6.  Firearms were located in two of the vehicles.

* 6:30 p.m.: The Surrey RCMP Auto Crime Target Team (ACTT) followed a prolific auto thief in a stolen Acura Integra to 108^th Avenue and 148^th Street where he was arrested. A search of the vehicle yielded two guns along with a variety of evidence known to be used in criminal activity. As a result, charges forwarded by ACTT included possession of firearms among other property crime-related charges.

* 7:55 p.m. : a Police Dog Service (PDS) team spotted a stolen Audi A4 and informed patrol officers about the direction the suspect vehicle was headed. Officers used a spike belt to deflate the tires and slow the vehicle.  Despite the deflated tires, the driver attempted to escape but couldn’t keep control of his vehicle and crashed into a light post near 80^th Avenue and 168^th Street.  During the arrest, officers noticed the male attempting to conceal something under the seat.  A search of the car located a loaded handgun. In addition to the outstanding warrants the male had, he was held in custody facing new charges, including possession of a firearm, and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

“Failing to stop for police presents a high risk to the public and officers. The spike belt is an excellent tool available to police officers.  It can cause a vehicle’s tires to become deflated which in turn may disable the vehicle completely or slow it down to reduce the risk to the public and police,” says Cpl. Scotty Schuman.

* 9 p.m.: Surrey Gang Enforcement Team (SGET) officers spotted a Toyota Tundra entering a parking lot in the 9100-block of King George Boulevard that had been stolen in Burnaby. During the arrest, officers discovered the driver did not have a valid driver’s license and was breaching a court order not to be found in the driver’s seat of any private motor vehicle.   Several charges have been forwarded to Crown Counsel for approval including possession of stolen property.

“These three instances demonstrate that police never know what they will be dealing with in any given instance. There are no routine investigations,” says  Schumann.

The Surrey RCMP encourage people to protect their vehicles from theft.  For tips on how to reduce the likelihood of your vehicle being stolen, see their website.

To report suspicious vehicles or people, call Surrey RCMP non-emergency at 604-599-0502 or 9-1-1 if it’s an emergency. Contact CrimeStoppers if you wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-TIPS, or online at www.solvecrime.ca.