In the beginning of January our officers were called to a
local apartment building where two roommates were having trouble getting along.
The original tenant had invited a “friend” to “couch surf” for a while but due
to his propensity for hostility, and violence, he was no longer enjoying his
company and wanted him out. According to the surfer though, the original
invitation had soon became a subletting agreement and it was the original
tenant who lacked any social skills. He claimed that money had exchanged
hands for rent while the other denied it. He even produced some receipts.
The officers determined that there was a strong likelihood
that this was a civil tenancy dispute and not really a police matter. They left
after advising the two that they should work it out like adults. After all, the
home is one’s castle and just who’s castle it was could not be determined at
that time.
A few days later the police were called back to find that
the original tenant had moved out and the surfer had changed the locks. The now
moved out tenant just wanted to get some things, including his TV. The surfer
claimed that the tenant owed him money and it quickly became confusing with no
proof of ownership available for any of the items in question. Again, the
two were told to work it out and they agreed.
Later, we received a call from the landlord of the building
in question stating that they hadn't received any rent from the occupant of the
suite in a month and some other person had moved in without permission.
This was potentially a criminal matter so, again, we attended. This time the
surfer produced a lease agreement with his name on it. The landlord was
contacted but, due to the time of night, it was decided to try and work things
out the next day. So, the surfer was left in place.
The next day police re-attended in an attempt to finally
work things out but the surfer barricaded himself within the suite and refused
to answer the door.
Now, some people may not understand or agree with this but
the police do not move people out of homes unless it is absolutely clear that a
criminal offence has, or is likely to, occur. We normally attend to ensure
things remain peaceful while the civil process of eviction takes place and is
carried out by others. Therefore, it was decided that further investigation
should be undertaken to determine whether or not this was clearly a criminal
matter and, if so, how things should proceed and remain peaceful. It was during
this investigation that it was confirmed the lease agreement presented by the
surfer earlier was falsified and no agreement to lease ever existed.
Meanwhile, and seemingly unrelated, another officer attended
to a local pizzeria for a report of a break in. Upon arrival it was found
that someone had broken into the business over night, disabled the CCTV
camera’s, stolen some items, and then spread several large industrial sized
bags of flour all over the place “causing quite a mess”.
Although the camera’s had been rendered inoperable, they
have a habit of continuing to operate right up to the point that they stop.
Therefore, the cameras clearly captured two males breaking in along with some
“good face shots”. The pizza shop staff immediately recognized one of the two
males as the surfer, who was a recently fired employee.
As police prepared the report to Crown Counsel, and an
arrest warrant request for the surfer, the pizza shop staff called in to say
that the surfer had just walked past the store and had gone into a business
across the street. Members descended upon the area and, after a brief attempt
to elude police, he was taken into custody rounding out his total of police
interactions to 80.
It was about this time that information came to light
that the surfer had started subletting the illegally occupied apartment to
another male. Strangely enough, to one matching the description of the second
male seen breaking into the pizza shop. In turn, it was learned that he was
currently out and about with a large pink suitcase.
It should be noted here that you really cannot make this
stuff up.
Sure enough, it was not long before an eagle eyed officer
located a male pulling a large pink suitcase. It was, indeed, the second break
and enter suspect. He was arrested and found to have an uncomfortably large
knife stuffed down the front of his pants “for protection”… contrary to all
four of his court ordered release documents from the lower mainland.
Members contacted the landlord to inform them that the
apartment would probably be empty for quite some time now and they attended,
took possession of the suite, and changed the locks.
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