Rash of small business robberies downtown

VANCOUVER Police are investigating a series of robberies that have occurred in the downtown core since the end of October.

“Since October, we have received at least nine robbery reports of small businesses downtown,” says Constable Jason Doucette. “The suspect has typically been armed with a knife while he walked around the counter and emptied the cash registers.”

Witnesses have described the suspect as a white man, 30 to 40 years old, with a medium build, and dark hair.

“It’s a good idea for merchants to test their security equipment to ensure everything is working, and to know how to view and retrieve the footage for police,” said Doucette.

While the VPD continues to investigate these incidents, store employees are being asked to remain vigilant and to call 911 immediately if they are robbed or notice suspicious behaviour. Anyone with information about these robberies is asked to call detectives at 604-717-2541.