The ongoing theft of oversized package left outside the front doors of homes is a continuous problem in Oak Bay.
On Friday, however, an Oak Bay resident’s security camera recorded a would-be thief as he picked up a package and assessed it, only to decline.
Turns out the porch pirate picked up a package of kitty litter and is apparently not a cat owner.
“The [man] was described as Caucasian with long curly hair, wearing a black hat, black sleeveless shirt, black shorts, carrying a large dark backpack and riding a bicycle,” said Oak Bay Police Chief Ray Bernoties.
Police searched the area but did not locate a suspect.
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“Fortunately, we haven’t been inundated with ‘porch pirate’ thefts but it only takes a couple criminals to victimize an entire community,” Bernoties said. “We encourage people to have a trusted neighbour pick up their packages or figure out another system to ensure these opportunistic thieves don’t prey on them.”
The kitty litter incident was among the preventable calls fielded by the Oak Bay Police Department from Sept. 28 and Oct. 4.
The week started with a bike reported stolen overnight on Sept. 28 from Goldsmith Street. It’s a grey CCM Techo with black and pink markings. There was a report of a break and enter into a residence overnight on Sept. 29 at the 3200-block of Beach Drive. A laptop and charger were reported stolen. The household residents were not home at the time of the incident.
Another man was reported snooping during the night on the front porch of a residence in the 1000-block of St. David Street on Sept. 30. His presence activated a motion-sensor light and appeared to have ushered him off the residence, Bernoties said.
The man was described as Caucasian, thin build, 6’1”, wearing long shorts.
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On Friday, Oak Bay Police arrested a man for setting a fire in a compost container on Central Avenue. The culprit was released on documents with a date to attend court.
During a routine patrol on Sept. 29, an Oak Bay Police officer stopped to speak with two men and discovered one had a warrant for possession of stolen property. He was arrested and released on paperwork to attend court.
On Saturday a prolific offender was arrested in Oak Bay on two warrants. The offender stayed in jail until he appeared before a judge.
A resident also reported a fraudulent phone call they received last week. The caller asked her to help “catch” a bank employee stealing money from clients.
“The caller asked the complainant to convert her money to bitcoin and send it,” Bernoties said.
The resident hung up and did not comply with the instructions.
“Remember, if you feel that a phone call is a scam, hang up immediately and do not give out any personal information,” Bernoties said.
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