On Dec. 4 at approximately 6:20 a.m., a break-and-enter was reported at a residence on the 300-block of 1st Street in Courtenay. The suspect allegedly entered the residence through an unlocked door and stole several items before leaving on foot. Front-line members of the RCMP went to the area and arrested a man after discovering him inside a shed at another nearby residence. A subsequent investigation by the Comox Valley RCMP Street Crimes Unit led to the recovery of four firearms and additional property that had been reported stolen.
Clifford Clayton is facing charges of break-and-enter, possession of stolen property, and possession of a firearm while prohibited. (Ref. 2019-18617)
School bikes stolen
A break-and-enter was reported to the Comox Valley RCMP Dec. 28 after an alarm was triggered at Courtenay Elementary School. The suspect or suspects entered the school and stole bicycles used for school activities. These bicycles had been generously donated to the school for children who do not own bicycles so they can participate in all of school programs. Three of the bicycles have been recovered, but eight are still missing. Some bikes were green, some yellow and some blue. They were all the same model and child-sized. (Ref. 2019-19870)
Condo lockers B&E
On December 18, 2019 front-line members of the Comox Valley RCMP went to a condominium building on the 3000-block of Royal Vista Way in Courtenay after a report of a break-in to storage lockers at that location. The suspect(s) may have gained access to the secure parkade by following an unsuspecting vehicle inside. Once inside, they pried open the doors on the storage lockers and stole property including several sets of golf clubs and a mandolin. The mandolin is a valuable family heirloom. (Ref. 2019-19386)
Impaired driver checks
During the month of December, front-line members of the Comox Valley RCMP were busy setting up check stops to remove impaired drivers from local roads. Over 1,000 vehicles passed through these stops. A few violation tickets were handed out and one 24-hour driving prohibition. Overall, front-line members noted many designated drivers had been identified to get people home safely; however, outside the check stops, there were 16 impaired drivers who were handed 30-day driving prohibitions and 90-day vehicle impounds.
If you have any information regarding any of these incidents, or any other crimes, please contact the Comox Valley RCMP at 250-338-1321. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Comox Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at comoxvalleycrimestoppers.bc.ca. When reporting through Crime Stoppers, you never have to identify yourself or testify in court, and you could receive a cash reward for your information.
