'Using the cover of darkness': Police patrolling Cadboro Bay after increase in crime
Two local police departments and the RCMP are working together to address a surge in marine-related crimes around the Cadboro Bay area.
On Friday, Saanich police said they were working with the Oak Bay Police Department, the BC RCMP West Coast Marine Services and the BC RCMP Federal Shiprider Program to investigate increasing reports of crime in the area.
Residents of the Cadboro Bay area told police that they've seen an increase in crime over the past few months, and that they believe a small group of people living on boats are responsible.
Recent reported crimes include thefts, mischief, noise complaints and other "unlawful activity," according to Saanich police.
"For example, one person reported that while asleep on their boat, they were woken by someone attempting to steal various items outside," said the Saanich Police Department in a statement.
"Police believe the thieves are using the cover of darkness to carry out many of these criminal activities."
In response to the increase in crime reports, the four police organizations began nighttime patrols on the waters of Cadboro Bay at the beginning of June.
The patrols required coordination from the two local police departments and the two RCMP units since Cadboro Bay borders both Saanich and Oak Bay, while the waters themselves are considered RCMP jurisdiction.
While out on one of these patrols, police say they saw two men breaching their court-ordered conditions last week.
Warrants have now been issued for Thomas Cudworth, 33, and Jack Chisholm, 23, who live on a vessel in Cadboro Bay.
Police are still searching for the pair as of Friday.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to call Saanich police at 250-475-4321, or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
Anyone who witnesses suspicious activity in the Cadboro Bay area is encouraged to contact police.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.