A broken bike lock is all that remains outside this Haliburton St. home after someone cut it and took the bike it was attempting to secure. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Jordan Davidson

safety first

‘It has to be lawful:’ Nanaimo police trying to deter stolen property take-backs

Mar 21, 2023 | 5:31 AM

NANAIMO — Local Mounties are trying to avoid future conflicts over potentially stolen goods.

The advisory comes after a local business owner was shot after recovering goods he said were stolen from his mechanics shop spotted at an encampment at a park near Nanaimo’s downtown.

Reserve Cst. Gary O’Brien said it’s not worth the risk of attempting to retrieve your stolen property on your own, regardless of where it’s located.

“That’s an extremely dangerous, volatile situation that people are putting themselves in, and it’s not worth it. At the end of the day, you’re safety and well-being are more important than anything else.”

O’Brien said they want people calling the local detachment for help getting stolen property back, because it must be done in a lawful way.

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“When we say lawful, we mean, do you have information that can positively identify that equipment as being yours? Have you recorded the serial numbers? Have you taken an engraver and engraved a unique number, such as a driver’s license on it? That’s unequivocal and we can address that.”

He said services like 529Garage, where bikes can be registered with photos and serial numbers, are great resources to help get a stolen bike returned to its rightful owner.

O’Brien added other high-value items such as tools are often spotted being carried away, or placed in public spaces. These can often be returned if engraved or otherwise marked with something unique.

He said it’s important to avoid a direct confrontation with the alleged thief.

“If you feel comfortable going with a friend, have a phone, and follow at a safe distance and call the police. ‘This is the person I think has my property, this person is wearing this, and they are going in this direction.’ We’ll get there as quick as we can to help you.”

Other suggestions to keep your stuff safe include photographing all of your electronics, tool or valuables, and always reporting thefts to the RCMP and then to any neighbourhood block watch groups in the region.

Searches continue for a suspect in the Terminal Ave. shooting, with RCMP having made no arrests in relation to the incident. Two people were taken into custody on outstanding warrants but later released with future court dates.

O’Brien said they know someone in Nanaimo has important information into this case but has yet to come forward.

“Our investigators are working around the clock, they’re gathering evidence, they’ve got tons of video evidence, dash cam video and they’re consulting with a lot of agencies within the city and elsewhere to identify the suspect pool.”

According to a GoFundMe page set up for the victim, he’s safely gone through three surgeries and was awakened and taken off a ventilator on Friday, March 17.

As of Monday afternoon, they’ve raised $25,806, breaking their current fundraising goal of $25,000.

Following the shooting, a number of community safety rallies were held as Island residents demanded governments of all levels do something to make their communities safer.

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