22 January 2012 – 0125 hours – Government Street – officers were on routine patrol when they observed a van go through a stop sign and make another turn without signalling. When the vehicle was stopped one officer immediately recognized the driver as a local man with a long police history.

The suspect stated immediately to the officer that he didn’t have a driver’s licence and that he shouldn’t be driving. Further checks on the suspect showed that he was also violating a 7pm to 6am curfew imposed upon him back in November when he was arrested for selling drugs to an undercover officer.

After the suspect was placed under arrested officers looked inside the van he was driving and saw a large number of computers, cameras and digital phones. The suspect was also arrested for possessing stolen property.

When the suspect was processed at HQ a small amount of heroin was found on him when he was searched.

As he was driving while unlicenced the vehicle he was operating, which did not belong to him, was impounded for 7 days and he was also charged with being an unlicenced driver under the Motor Vehicle Act.

A 40 year old Victoria man will also be facing other charges in relation to his curfew violation. He was released on a promise to appear for around one month from now.

17 January 2012 – 1705 hours – Fairfield and Moss – Unit was dispatched to assist two motorists who had lost control on icy Fairfield Road and crashed into the curb and guard rail there.

Arriving on scene the officers positioned their vehicle to block westbound traffic and got out to assist only to find the police car was slipping down the road  and into the same guard rail. The road was found to have an inch of solid ice covering it.

Another unit and some tow trucks were requested and the street was then effectively blocked off to prevent any further slip and slides.

City sanding crews were able to attend about an hour later and put a layer of salt and sand down on the effected portion of the roadway. Crews were overwhelmed in requests for sanding as temperatures dropped significantly as darkness fell and caused streets to ice up.

Transit buses on that route were also re-routed as a result of the icing problems.

The vehicles involved in the original accidents sustained little if any damage and were sent on their way after the road was cleared. No one was injured.

18 January 2012  – 0320 hours – Bay Street – A resident was awakened in the middle of the night because of some loud snoring that was going on inside his home. The problem was however that last time the resident checked, he lived alone.  The resident got up to investigate and found a man asleep, head down, at his dining room table.

Three officers were dispatched and found the man as described at the dining room table, dead asleep. The officers noted however that the suspect’s pants were down to his ankles but fortunately in obvious preparation for the sleeping part of this sojourn, he was wearing pyjamas underneath his other clothing. The officers detected a strong smell of alcohol coming from the suspect.

Officers tried to rouse the suspect with little success and when one of them tried to look for ID on the suspect he started pushing back and struggling. It took all three officers present to bring the man under control and place him in handcuffs.

The man tried to kick the officers several times as they escorted him from the residence which was made more difficult by the snow and ice which had accumulated over night. The struggle continued outside in the dead of winter with the suspect biting one of the officers on the arm before he was pulled into a patrol van.

Once at cells the man refused to identify himself and he was lodged for the evening while the investigation continued.

It appears the suspect probably gained access to the residence via an unlocked door.

The man will be held for court on charges of being unlawfully in a dwelling and assaulting a peace officer.

15 January 2012 – 1430 hours – Pandora and Blanshard – A K9 officer was searching the area trying to locate a sexual assault suspect from an incident which had occurred earlier when he spotted a man matching the suspect description.

The officer approached the suspect and learned that the man had the same first name as the suspect involved in the assault. When the officer tried to place the man under arrest the man started to resist and immiediately shoved one of his hands in his pocket.

The officer took the man to the ground and called for assistance in order to try and bring him under control. Another officer arrived in a few minutes and the suspect was handcuffed and taken into custody.

When searched the officers found six “dime” bags of marijuana in the man’s pocket. The man admitted later that he was also high on crack cocaine.

The man was processed in cells and then transported to Royal Jubilee for a medical assessment.

A 21 year old Saanich man has been released on a promise to appear on charges of sexual assault and trafficking in a controlled substance. We are not offering comment on the sexual yet as it is still under investigation.

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As winter 2012 is firmly upon us now it’s timely to remind drivers about what kind of tires are legal for winter use in BC. Here are the rules:

The public in some parts of the Province are confused with the term “All Season Tires “. VicPD Traffic has been inundated with queries from members and the public about:

• What are and what are not legal snow tires ?
• If a sign states “ USE WINTER TIRES OR CARRY CHAINS BEYOND THIS POINT OCTOBER 1 – APRIL 30 “  what must I have to be legal ?

The only acceptable snow tires in BC are:

- All Season tires WITH Mud & snow (M+S) designation are identified on the sidewall of the tire. They meet the definition of a winter tire under the current B.C. Motor Vehicle Act Regulations.

- There are also winter tires with a snow flake and mountain symbol on them that are specifically designed and tested for severe winter conditions and outperform all-season tires with M & S symbols because of their composition.

Safety Equipment for winter travel.

Section 208 MVA defines it,

For the purpose of this section, “winter tire”means a tire that is

(a) advertised or represented by its manufacturer or a person in the business of selling tires to be a tire intended principally for winter use, and that provides, or is designed to provide, adequate traction in snow or mud; and

(b) in the condition respecting tread wear and other particulars the regulations prescribe.

(2) The minister responsible for the administration of the Transportation Act may, by public notice or by placing signs, prohibit vehicles from being driven or operated on a highway that are not equipped with chains, winter tires or sanding devices, or a combination of these the minister considers adequate and necessary in view of prevailing road conditions.

(3) For the purposes of a prosecution under this section, the onus is on the defendant to prove that a tire alleged not to be a winter tire is in fact a winter tire.

Obeying traffic controls

Section 125 MVA defines the offence,

Unless otherwise directed by a peace officer or a person authorized by a peace officer to direct traffic, every driver of a vehicle and every pedestrian must obey the instructions of an applicable traffic control device.

Failing to obey a “ traffic control device “ posted ” USE WINTER TIRES OR CARRY CHAINS BEYOND THIS POINT OCTOBER 1 – APRIL 30 “  can result in a Violation Ticket with a fine of $121.00

(3) For the purposes of a prosecution under this section, the onus is on the defendant to prove that a tire alleged not to be a winter tire is in fact a winter tire.

What is defined as a winter tire ?

Section 7.162 Motor Vehicle Act Regulations -  A winter tire as defined in section 208 of the Act shall have not less than 3.5 mm of tread depth across the surface of the tire in contact with the road.

Equipment of motor vehicles

Section 219 MVA

(1) A person must not drive or operate a motor vehicle or trailer on a highway or rent a motor vehicle or trailer unless it is equipped in all respects in compliance with this Act and the regulations.

1. (2) A peace officer

(a) may require a person who carries on the business of renting vehicles or who is the owner or person in charge of a vehicle

(i) to allow the peace officer to inspect a vehicle offered by the person for rental or owned by or in charge of the person, or

(ii) to move a vehicle described in subparagraph (i) to a place designated by the peace officer and to allow the vehicle to be inspected there by the peace officer, or, at the expense of the person required, to present the vehicle for inspection by a person authorized under section 217, and

(b) must remove any inspection certificate of approval affixed to the vehicle if, in the opinion of the peace officer or a person authorized under section 217, the vehicle is unsafe for use on a highway.

(3) An owner of a motor vehicle or trailer must not permit it to be driven or operated on a highway unless it is equipped in all respects in compliance with this Act and the regulations.

(4) In subsection (3), “owner” means

(a) the owner, or

(b) in the case of a vehicle that is leased for a term of 30 days or more, the person who leases the vehicle.

The fine for operating an improperly equipped vehicle under Section 219 (1) MVA

Drive/ Operate improperly equipped vehicle ……………….Fine : $ 121.00

15 January 2012 – 0356 – Shelbourne Street – Citizens phoned in when they began hearing a young man standing in the middle of the road yelling and screaming for no apparent reason.

Officers located a 22 year old man as described and who was quite upset. It appears that his concern stemmed from an argument he had with his girlfriend a shortwhile before.

The couple was inside a taxi when the argument started but owing to the young man’s level of intoxication he passed out before the issue could be settled. He awoke later to find himself alone in the cab – his girlfriend gone. Frustrated, he then decided to wake up the entire neighbourhood.

Officers were able to contact the man’s mother in nearby Oak Bay and she came to the scene to provide a ride home.

As this intervention quelled the disturbance no charges are comtemplated.

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15 January 2012 – 0259  hours – Yates and Wharf – Units were dispatched to a complaint of a man with a knife trying to start fights. The first unit on scene was flagged down by some witnesses who pointed out two men further up the street who were the suspects in the incident. When they saw the police car pulling up they fled north through Commercial Alley near Bastion Square.

Officers gave chase and grabbed both men a short distance away. They were searched but no knife was located on either suspect.

A police dog was then called to the scene to conduct an evidence search. Within a few minutes of searching the dog sniffed out the knife in between some nearby garbage bins.

Both suspects were arrested and returned to HQ where they were processed on charges of assault with a weapon and possession of a dangerous weapon. They were released on promises to appear for about one month from now.

Witnesses are still being interviewed in relation to the incident. The suspects are 24 and 25 years of age and are from Saanich.

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10 January 2012 – 0230 hours – Johnson Street – Two officers on routine patrol observed a suspect in front of a night club yelling and swearing at passersby and bar staff – telling anyone who would listen that he was “the king of Egypt”. He appeared to be intoxicated.

Running a check on the man the officers learned that he was bound by previous court orders not to consume any alcohol or be in possession of liquor and he was accordingly placed under arrest.

While being searched the officer found a box cutter knife in his pants pocket which became problematic as he was also bound by a previous court condition not be in possession of any knives.

He was handcuffed and placed into their police car but once inside he began to try and kick out the car windows and the security partition inside the vehicle. He then had to be removed from the vehicle in order to be handcuffed which resulted in a struggle with the officers trying to control him.

It eventually required three officers to remove the suspect from the car and escort him to the cells once they arrived at HQ.

The man also refused to go quietly to court the next morning as well – requiring police officers and sheriffs deputies to carry him into the van for the court run.

The 58 year old suspect from Salts Spring Island is facing two charges of breaching court conditions. He has over 300 entries on file with area police departments or detatchments.

09 January 2012 – 1243 hours – Constance Street – a woman called to complain that there was a suspicious vehicle in front of her residence. A check by communication center staff showed that the vehicle, a 2010 Mazda, was stolen back on 07 November 2011 from the West Shore.

The vehicle was investigated by the attending officer and found to be a rental car from Colwood. The vehicle was towed to the RCMP forensic compound for examination. It appears that the keys for the vehicle were stolen from a residence at the time of the offence as well.

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09 January 20102 0130 hours – Lampson St and Transfer Road – A K9 handler on routine patrol observed a suspicious vehicle parked near the Esquimalt Lion’s little park. The vehicle pulled away slowly after apparently being stopped for no reason in the early morning hours. Stopping the vehicle nearby the officer immediately detected symptoms of alcohol impairment from the driver.

The driver was given a road side screening test which showed a “Warn” reading meaning that his blood alcohol content was between 50 to 80 milligrams. He was prohibited from driving and his vehicle was impounded.

The man said he would walk a short distance to his girlfriend’s residence.

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