The Victoria Police Department is investigating after several businesses on Fort Street. were targeted in overnight break-ins on Friday.
Police say that at approximately 1:45 a.m. on the morning of January 15, officers responded to a report of an alarm going off in a business in the 600-block of Fort Street.
Upon arriving at the scene, police discovered that at least five businesses in the building – including hair salons and a restaurant – had all been targeted.
Police, along with VicPD K9 officers, searched the area, but the suspect appears to have fled before authorities were able to arrive at the scene.
It is noted in a police report that the method of entry, using the removal of glass, appears similar to a series of break and enters that VicPD warned the public about earlier this month.
In these break-ins, police say the suspect used a sophisticated technique of removing the glass from doors and windows.
“This approach requires specialized tools and knowledge and, in some files, has been effective in defeating alarm systems,” noted police in a release issued on January 5. “In instances when the glass removal technique has failed, the thieves may resort to more brute force methods; smashing windows and prying doors.”
Investigators with our Forensic Identification Services section and our Investigative Service Division, along with Patrol officers, continue to investigate this series of break and enters.
VicPD is advising businesses to remove valuables from the store or put them out of view when closing up for the night. Also, police suggest emptying cash drawers, reviewing surveillance systems and reviewing alarms to ensure security measures are working properly.
If you have surveillance footage from the area of the 600-block of Fort Street or know any information about these overnight break and enters, Victoria Police is asking you to call their Report Desk at (250) 995-7654, extension 1.
To report what you know anonymously, please call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Graham Cox
