The number of car thefts reported to Richmond RCMP almost doubled in April compared to March.
But 17 per cent of these were not actually thefts, police say, rather other situations such as what police describe as “confusion related to vehicle locations.”
Richmond RCMP said there were 29 incidents of auto thefts in April – outlined in a report going to city council’s community safety meeting next week – which is more than double compared to a year ago, when auto theft was lower than average.
The spike in reports from March to April constituted a 93-per-cent increase from the previous month.
RCMP say that about half of the vehicles stolen in April have been recovered.
Serious assaults rise in April
In April, there were 19 serious assaults in Richmond, up by 27 per cent from March, of which 37 per cent were “domestic in nature,” according to the RCMP.
Police say there don’t see any trends or patterns in these serious assaults, but note that more than half took place in private homes.
Compared to a year ago – April 2021 – the number of serious assaults this April were up 46 per cent.
