Comox Valley RCMP conducted a raid of a problem house on 20th Street in Courtenay Thursday morning (March 4), making multiple arrests in the process.
RCMP had access to 20th Street blocked off between Cousins and Choquette avenues as they conducted the raid.
B次元官网网址淚 can confirm that we are at a residence on the 1600 block of 20 Street right now - we have our Street Crime Unit over there right now, executing a search warrant,B次元官网网址� said Comox Valley RCMP media relations officer, Const. Monika Terragni, during an early afternoon briefing. B次元官网网址淲e are going to be at that residence for some time. We are still searching for evidence, gathering evidence, and determining what comes next.
B次元官网网址淲e did make quite a few arrests at that residence, and we still have several people in custody.B次元官网网址�
Terragni said the purpose of the raid was to issue warrants associated with several different offences, and acknowledged that the property has been the subject of illegal activity - including illicit drugs - for a long time.
B次元官网网址淭hat property hasB次元官网网址� for some time, been the subject of lots of different police reports, regarding drug trafficking, property offences and that sort of thing,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚t is a known residence within the Courtenay community, and this (raid) is a result of a lot of complaints coming from the public, which allowed our Street Crimes Unit to really initiate a focused investigation on that residence.B次元官网网址�
Neighbouring residents have reached out to media on several occasions in the past few years about the rash of illegal activities associated with that house, and another residence a couple of blocks away - both owned by the same landlord. Terragni said the police understand the frustration felt by neighbouring residents.
B次元官网网址淲e understand the frustration, and we share that frustration as well, going to the same area over and over again, for the same types of calls,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭his is an opportunityB次元官网网址� to reduce the crime in the area.B次元官网网址�
Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells said this latest development is the result of diligent residents.
B次元官网网址淭hat (neighbourhood) has been an area of concern for many years and I know that the RCMP have been working on it from a variety of angles,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎s mayor of Courtenay, one of my primary concerns is the health, welfare and safety of our citizensB次元官网网址� One of the biggest ways to help us with issues like this is to make sure that you are calling the RCMP to let them know about any concerns you might have. Even if they arenB次元官网网址檛 able to go out at that time, it does go on file. I think thatB次元官网网址檚 absolutely critical. We may hear a lot about a problem area, but when we talk to the RCMP, they donB次元官网网址檛 have any actual reports from citizens, so we need to make sure that people take ownership and continue to call in and report (any illegal activity).
B次元官网网址淚t can be difficult and time-consuming to get to the point where we are able to take action like what has happened here, but we just have to keep the pressure on and keep getting those calls in. If those calls fall off, and people stop calling in, the impression might be that the problem has gone away.B次元官网网址�
Terragni is hopeful these latest police actions will have a lasting effect on the illegal activity in the neighbourhood.
B次元官网网址淎bsolutely. Any time that we execute a search warrant and venture onto somebodyB次元官网网址檚 property, we are disrupting that activityB次元官网网址�. and any time that we disrupt criminal activity, it is going to have an effect.B次元官网网址�
More to comeB次元官网网址�
terry.farrell@blackpress.ca
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