VPD arrests suspect after windows smashed in West End

Vancouver – Police in Vancouver’s West End have arrested a suspect who allegedly went on a window-smashing spree Wednesday, causing thousands of dollars in property damage.

“In September, VPD redeployed officers throughout the downtown core in response to community concerns about rising crime and public safety,” says Sergeant Steve Addison. “Though we still have work to do, those efforts are now showing results.”

West End officers were called Wednesday afternoon, after a man threw a rock and smashed a window at a storefront on Davie Street. A heads-up witness immediately called 9-1-1 and kept an eye on the suspect until officers arrived and arrested the man for mischief.

The officers were familiar with the man because he’s a suspect in dozens of other mischiefs in the downtown core. In fact, he was arrested earlier that same day after allegedly breaking a window at a business near Robson and Bute Street.

The 50-year-old suspect was taken to jail, and police are now investigating all possible links to other unsolved mischiefs in the downtown core.

Since August, Vancouver Police have received, on average, 11 reports each week from business owners in the downtown core who have had their storefront windows smashed. Thirty-five per cent of all reported mischiefs in the area now involve broken windows.

Anyone who witnesses a crime in progress is reminded to call 9-1-1 immediately so police can respond and investigate. Non-emergencies should be reported to 604-717-3321.