It has taken more than year but a prolific offender responsible for numerous locker break-ins in Coquitlam is now behind bars - and police are crediting co-operation between Mounties and civilians for the arrest.
Coquitlam RCMP say that in late 2013, apartment buildings in the 3100-block of Dayanee Springs Boulevard were plagued by numerous storage locker break-ins. Mounties conducted a crime analysis and developed a strategic plan involving both volunteers and uniformed and plainclothes officers.
On Jan. 8, 2014, a suspect was arrested and subsequently charged with a number of criminal offences, including break and enter, possession of stolen property and possession of break and enter tools.
Curtis Thacker of Coquitlam pleaded guilty on April 9 to nine charges, including four counts of possession of identity documents of another person, two counts of break and enter, two counts of possession of break and enter tools, and possession of a controlled substance. He received a one-year jail sentence followed by two years of probation.
"Once the area and pattern of the criminal activity was identified at CompStat, the entire detachment went to work," said RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Jamie Chung in a press release. "Our Block Watch volunteers delivered flyers to the residents with tips on how to combat the locker break-ins, Community Response Team officers met with the residents to discuss other crime-prevention deterrents such as using CCTV, and uniformed officers patrolled the area both on foot and in vehicles."
It was after reviewing the CCTV footage that RCMP's Prolific Target Team investigators recognized the suspect and got a warrant to obtain evidence for criminal charges.
Police also say the quick response of residents calling in about the locker break-ins helped solve the case.
"Without accurate, timely information about what's going on in your neighbourhood, we don't have all the intelligence we need," Chung said. "That's why it's so important to report crime."
