Campbell River RCMP Urging Residents To Protect Valuables

Campbell River Police are reminding residents to jot down the serial numbers of their valuables - especially for things commonly left outside.

In a release, police say simply taking pictures of items and their serial numbers is a quick and easy way to keep track of your valuables.

Items that are stored outside are highly susceptible to being stolen - especially true of items like bicycles and or lawn mowers.

Police often recover these items and at times are unable to return them to the owners or generate charges against the person they were found with only because the owner was unable to provide a serial number as proof of ownership.

Earlier this month, Campbell River RCMP received a report of a custom mountain bike worth approximately $18,000 stolen from the 3700 block of the South Island Highway.

Members of Campbell River RCMP’s Crime Reduction Unit located the bicycle in Nunn’s Creek park a few days later, while conducting another investigation.

Officers were able to return the bicycle to its rightful owner that night.

In another instance, last week, police busted someone chopping up bikes in the 2100 block of 15th Ave.

Turns out the bike he was riding was also stolen.

It got back to its owner after she called police with a serial number, and police made an arrest in the case.

RCMP add it is also extremely important that people keep track of their firearm serial numbers for reporting purposes if they are ever stolen.

Again, it allows police to return the item if ever recovered and enables charges to be laid against the individuals the firearms are found with.