Two tires on a Saanich police vehicle were flattened after driving over a manhole cover that had been deliberately removed.
Sgt. Steve Eassie says the incident happened late Monday night on Richmond Road near Kingsbury Crescent. While the heavy cover wasn't completely removed from the manhole, it had been intentionally partially moved from its usual resting position at street level.
On Tuesday morning, police were notified that five storm drains nearby, in the 3700- and 3800-blocks of Gordon Head Rd., had also been displaced. Those metal storm drains were all dropped into the inlets themselves.
"This is a senseless, dangerous and stupid act on someone's part that could've resulted in a serious injury," Eassie said. "This could've been a very dangerous situation for somebody had they been riding their bicycle or walking along that area of the roadway."
Investigators believe the two incidents are related.
Saanich public works crews were able to retrieve the storm drains and reinstall them.
kslavin@saanichnews.com