annual vigil Nanaimo mother keeps daughter’s memory alive. Page 7 First flight WestJet’s regional carrier Encore began service this week. Page 19 Soul singers Trio of musicians combine talents in new band. WE Page 3
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VOL. 25, NO. 25
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Police warn public about increasing cellphone thefts
I
RCMP ESTIMATES at least 25 per cent of cases go unreported. By ChriS BuSh THE NEwS BULLETiN
CHRIS BUSH/THe NewS BUlleTIN
Oh Canada!
Abigail King, 6, left, Carter Margerison, 6, and his brother Lucas, 9, practise for Canada Day celebrations at Maffeo Sutton Park Monday (July 1). Canada’s 146th birthday festivities start at 11 a.m. and feature multicultural food, dance, concerts, roving magicians, clowns, circus performers and more. Remember to wear your red and white for the event. For a schedule of events – plus a Canadian flag to hang in your window – please see Saturday’s edition of the News Bulletin.
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When you step on the brakes, your life is in your foot’s hands.
Police in Nanaimo say cellphones are fast becoming the hot item on criminals’ most wanted lists. Since Jan. 1 there have been 122 reported incidents of phones stolen during break and enters or thefts in public places. Of those, seven phones were stolen during robberies. Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, said police receive weekly reports of phones stolen from lockers, change rooms, cars and at parties. “We estimate the figure is at least 25 per cent higher than what is reported,” O’Brien said. Stolen phones are often sold to drug dealers in exchange for drugs, are used by criminals for personal calls until they are cut off by the service provider, sold online or have their SIM cards removed, so they can be reactivated by service providers. The reported thefts of cellphones are fairly consistent over the past several years, but O’Brien said the frequency of thefts is likely to rise as increasing numbers of cellphones are sold. Most phones are stolen when left unattended, but in some cases, thieves have followed their intended targets, waiting for an opportunity to
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snatch a phone while victims are preoccupied texting or searching data. “Criminals are often stalking kids on their phones and they’re looking for that opportunity to take the phone,” O’Brien said. “The kids don’t even know who’s around them in their environment. They’ll put the phone down for a second and, boom, it’s gone.” Sometimes violence is used to snatch the device. In April, Jordan Sunnus, 16, was struck in the face and knocked to the ground when a man tried to take his cellphone. Sunnus applied karate and Brazilian jiu jitsu techniques that thwarted his attacker, but police suggest not putting up a fight during a robbery, since a culprit could prove to be unpredictable and dangerous. Instead hand the phone over, make note of the suspect’s description and report the incident to the police as soon as possible. There are ways to help prevent your phone from being stolen. Police recommend the following: u Never leave your phone unattended. u Look up from time to time and survey your surroundings when texting or surfing. u Have an action plan. If you think you’re being followed, be prepared to remove yourself from the situation. u Have an app installed that tracks your phone if it is lost or stolen. The sooner it is located the better the chance of retrieving it. u See ‘POLICE’ /5
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