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Police Briefs

Grand Forks RCMP detachment briefs from the weeks of Oct. 12 and 19.

Possible B & E

On Oct. 13 at 9:43 a.m., RCMP received a report from a person who believed their house was broken into between midnight and 2 a.m. on Oct. 11 on Spraggett Road in Grand Forks.

“Members attended and observed that a screen was cut on a spare bedroom window; however, no entry was gained,” said Staff Sgt. Jim Harrison. “The complainant believes that someone may have crawled through a bedroom window as the screen was pushed over and the window left open and back door unlocked.”

Police located no fingerprints on the scene, said Harrison. “It appeared nothing was taken.”

Thefts from vehicles

On Oct. 7 at 8:07 a.m., police received a call from a complainant stating that their Buick Enclave, which was parked at Mountain Place in Grand Forks, was entered into overnight.

“She found that the driver’s door was open,” said Harrison. “She thought she had locked the vehicle but there was no sign of forced entry to be found. Apparently, a large amount of cash that was in the vehicle was taken.”

At this time police have no suspects or witnesses. Anyone with any information is urged to contact Grand Forks RCMP at 250-442-8288.

Another theft from a vehicle was reported on Oct. 8 at 10:55 a.m. on 76th Avenue.

“The complainant reported that about a week ago he had two backpacks stolen from two unlocked vehicles that were parked on 76th Ave.,” said Harrison. “Taken was a gold backpack with a snow water emblem with no identification, and a black, red and gray pack with purple sleeping bag inside. Again, no identification.”

Police have no suspects or witnesses at this time.

On Oct. 9, some time overnight or in the early morning between 12 and 6 a.m., unknown suspects entered a gray Kia Soul that was parked at 19th St. in Grand Forks and stole a pair of $400 prescription sunglasses and a $50 emergency kit from the vehicle.

It appears the vehicle was unlocked and there were no witnesses or suspects, said Harrison.

On Oct. 14, police received a call about a licence plate which was stolen from a trailer likely in the Christina Lake area on Oct. 9.

Also on Oct. 14, there was a theft of $1 from inside an unlocked Hyundai Sante Fe which happened the previous night.

“As well, contents of her vehicle were rummaged through while parked at Mountain Place in Grand Forks,” said Harrison. “Again, I keep harping at it—please, lock your doors and don’t leave anything valuable in your vehicles. Next time it’ll be more than $1.”

Finally, on the same day (Oct. 14), unknown suspects got into a 1994 Ford Lariat pick-up truck (nothing was missing) and a Dodge Caravan at the same location and took all the change from that vehicle.

Both vehicles were parked on 78th Ave. and unlocked.

“Someone is going around and trying door handles and whatever they find unlocked they rummage through,” said Harrison.

On Oct. 15, suspects gained entry into a 2011 GMC Terrain from Alberta that was parked on 78th Ave.

The only thing that appears to be missing is the vehicle insurance and registration, said Harrison.

He commented that often people will steal the insurance and registration from a vehicle to gain information for a later break and enter, “but that doesn’t make sense because the vehicle is from Alberta.”

Harrison said the number of thefts from vehicles are becoming a concern for police and something they are focusing on.

Impaired drivers

On Oct. 18 at 4:32 p.m., an RCMP officer observed a brown Dodge Dakota with an Alberta licence plate traveling on 73rd Ave. behind Perley Elementary School.

“The vehicle had an extremely loud exhaust and the vehicle was back firing,” said Harrison. “The constable initiated a traffic stop to speak to the driver about the exhaust. When he approached the vehicle, he noticed a very strong odour of liquor emanating from the driver. Subsequently, a roadside screening device was utilized and two failed readings occurred.”

The driver, a 42-year-old female from Calgary, was given a 90-day immediate roadside prohibition and the vehicle was impounded for one month.

On Oct. 18 at 8:38 p.m. near 3rd Avenue and 72nd Street, a vehicle with no headlights on driving down the road caught the attention of police who pulled it over for a routine traffic check, said Harrison.

“(The officer) noticed a strong odour of liquor on the driver—again, the roadside screening device blew a fail,” he said. “(The suspect) had a previous immediate roadside prohibition so was subsequently brought back to the detachment for a breathalyzer. Two samples, both 135mg, were obtained. The legal limit is 0.08 and driver blew 0.130 twice.”

A small quantity of marijuana was also found in the vehicle. The driver, a 50-year-old Grand Forks male, was issued the administrative driver prohibition for 24 hours with a promise to appear in court for driving while impaired.