Prince George RCMP's Downtown Safety Unit was using bait property to the best of their ability last week.
According to police, on December 10th, after deploying a bait bike in the downtown core, three arrests were made in just over an hour. The three were charged with theft under $5,000.
A 29-year-old man was the first to be arrested slightly before 2 pm. He was followed by a 36-year-old man 30 minutes later, and a 22-year-old man 30 minutes after that. All three residents will appear in court on March 4th.
On Friday, the DSU deployed bait property inside a parked vehicle. Just after 10 pm, two men approached the vehicle and looked inside.
A short time later, one of the men used a hammer to break a passenger-side window of the vehicle, despite the fact the window was already partly rolled down. Both men grabbed items and fled on foot.
Officers apprehended 30-year-old Justin Dereck Murphy and 29-year-old Eugene William Jimmie moments later, and the stolen items were recovered. One officer suffered minor injuries as a result of the incident.
While officers arrested those two, a third man continued to the vehicle. Despite the obvious police presence, the man stole items and tried to flee. He was arrested shortly after.
Murphy was charged with Theft Under $5,000, Resisting Arrest, Mischief Under $5,000, Failure to Comply, and Possessing Break-in Instruments. He was remanded in custody and will appear in court on December 18th.
Jimmie was only charged with Theft Under $5,000 and Resisting arrest.
The third man was released by a justice and was scheduled to appear in court on January 15th.
"Our bait programs continue to lead to arrests and charges of those people in our community that choose to steal from others," says S/Sgt. Kent MacNeill. "We often have people in handcuffs within minutes of deploying bait property. Having those people off the street will almost certainly prevent others from being victims."
Anyone with information on property crime is asked to contact Prince George RCMP at (250)561-3300.
