Victoria and Esquimalt rang in the new year with a few hiccups last week, as the Victoria Police Department responded to nearly 120 calls for service in a 12-hour period.
VicPD officers locked up 19 people in cells between 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 and 5:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, mostly for being "grossly intoxicated," said Const. Mike Russell.
Of the 18 assaults on New Year's Eve, the most disturbing incident involved a 19-year-old man who was attacked in downtown Victoria. The victim's face and hands had been slashed by someone wielding a knife, but the man refused to co-operate with police when he arrived bleeding heavily at The Salvation Army Addictions and Rehabilitation Centre.
The victim is Caucasian with a slim build, brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a white shirt, dark blue jeans and a greenish-gray zip-up jacket at the time of the incident. Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Const. Roger dePass at 250-995-7654.
Breakdown of VicPD calls for service responses on New Year's Eve:
Assault - 18
Fights – 16
Assist Police / Fire / Ambulance – 14
Impaired – 5
Man down - 2
Disturbance – 11
Check Well-being – 8
Sudden death - 1
Abandoned 911 – 14
Intoxicated in Public – 7
Collision - 2
Alarm – 4
Shots Fired (unfounded) – 1
Mischief – 2
Traffic - 3
Other CC - 3
Assist General Public - 3
Bylaw – 2
Unwanted person – 6
Breach of court order – 2
Overdose - 1