Yesterday the Coquitlam RCMP issued a news release aimed at addressing an increasing number of social media posts that have raised fears in our community. We regret that the use of the term ‘rumours’ angered some and has left others feeling dismissed.
To clarify; any direct report of an attempted abduction that is made to the Coquitlam RCMP is taken very seriously and investigated thoroughly. When we ask you to avoid spreading rumours, we are referring specifically to someone who is not a witness or victim and then shares social media posts written by someone else.
Those third-party reports are rumour because there has been no attempt to verify or corroborate the facts (such as these reports).
Our intention in releasing this information is to address the most concerning claims in those social media posts- especially calls for people to arm themselves. We have heard from people who might be afraid to go for a jog, work a night shift, or walk down the street on their own.
We want to assure those people that your community is safe because there is no information to date that supports a spike or trend in attempted abductions.
We will continue to prioritize and investigate any reported abduction attempt as we would any serious public safety issue. If there is any evidence of a heightened risk, or a need for you to be extra-careful, we will let you know straightaway as we have in the past.
We continue to ask everyone to report any suspicious incidents immediately and directly to police, rather than on social media, so that our officers can gather evidence and determine what occurred. Those reports are shared with our crime analysts, Frontline officers, intelligence officers and proactive units like our crime reduction unit, bike and foot patrol officers.
These combined efforts are key in determining the facts and keeping people safe. We also ask that our citizens remain vigilant and take the steps necessary to reduce risks and enhance their personal safety.
Be alert and aware of your surroundings.
Avoid distractions (like your phone and earbuds) while you are walking or driving Avoid confrontations over driving behaviour or parking spots.
Wear bright clothing and obey traffic safety laws Walk with family or in pairs when in isolated areas
Call police immediately if you feel unsafe or see a crime in progress.
We remain committed to investigating all reports and sharing information with the public in order to address public safety concerns and keep our communities safe.