ON February 12, officers from Richmond RCMP’S Strike Force and Property Crime Unit joined Metro Vancouver Transit Police officers from Patrol and the Crime Suppression Team in a joint force operation targeting criminals using the transit system to commit crime in Richmond.

In a single day, 18 arrests were made, including those for theft, possession of stolen property, and breach of conditions. In addition, a bait bike was stolen, a warrant was executed and a missing 13-year-old Vancouver girl was located.

Of the 18 individuals arrested, 11 were not residents of Richmond, but had entered the municipality using transit.

“Crime does not adhere to municipal boundaries and over half of those arrested … depended on using public transit to enter Richmond,” said Sgt. Simon Lee, NCO in charge of Richmond RCMP Targeted Enforcement Units. “It also shows to some extent, the pervasiveness of retail theft and other property crimes, something we examine very seriously. With each successful operation, we foster good will and inter-agency cooperation. We look forward to working with our colleagues from the Metro Vancouver Transit Police again in the near future.”

“Transit Police works closely with our jurisdictional police partners, ensuring the safety of Transit passengers, while also working on projects to target those criminals who use public transit to commit crime. The number of arrests are a strong reflection that teamwork made this joint effort a huge success,” said Metro Vancouver Transit Police Constable Amanda Steed.
If members of the public see something that they’d like to report to police, they can call Richmond RCMP at 604-278-1212 or text Transit Police discreetly at 87-77-77.