There has been another break-in in the Mission area and this time the Canadian Cancer Society is the victim.
Late Saturday night, thieves smashed the front door of Mission Barbers on Logan Ave. After obtaining a small amount of cash from the barbershop, the intruders then smashed through the wall into the adjacent empty store and punched a hole into that wall to get inside the Cancer Society office.
The thief or thieves appear to have crawled through the small hole and ransacked the charity’s office.
The intruders managed to steal gift cards, donated prizes and some cash.
According to Allen Mugford, the regional director for the Canadian Cancer Society, when you factor in the damage done to the building as well as the items and cash stolen, the break-in will cost the charity about $3,500.
“It’s unfortunate that a charity, which is trying to support the community and the cancer causes is targeted,” said Mugford.
Most of the items taken were “gifts of the community” and were supposed to be auctioned off at next week’s Robbie Burns’ Supper and Dance fundraisers.
Despite the theft, Jimmy Logan, president of the Mission location of the Canadian Cancer Society, said the fundraiser, set for Jan. 23 at Chartwell Cedarbrook Retirement Residence, will continue.
The event supports pediatric cancer research and Camp Goodtimes which is for children with cancer. Tickets to the event are $40 and are available by calling 604-820-3166
Mission RCMP are investigating the crime but no suspects have been identified at this time.
Sgt. Shaun Wright said this break and enter is similar to several other commercial break and enters over the last few months.
According to the Mission Downtown business Association, 19 break-in or attempted break-ins have occurred in the past few months in that area alone.
The RCMP are reminding the public of the importance to assist police in addressing this issue by taking basic steps to help prevent commercial break and enters.
Those steps include:
q Having a monitored alarm system and good quality video surveillance assists in both deterring these types of crimes and helping police identify suspects in the unfortunate event that they do occur.
q Installing common security measures such as security gates, security window film and secure shutters are methods of “target-hardening” that reduce the likelihood of break and enters occurring.
q Cash, no matter how small the amount, should not be left in businesses after hours.