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metronews.ca WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2012
PHYLICIA TORREVILLAS/METRO
Mayor Gregor Robertson and Vancouver police Chief Jim Chu check out the bike conveyor belt Tuesday, which holds up to 465 stolen bikes 12 to 15 metres in the air, at the new Vancouver police property office and forensic storage facility on Glen Drive.
VPD opens new $30M state-of-the-art facility Facility ‘500 per cent better’ than the old building, says manager Three levels of government invested PHYLICIA TORREVILLAS @METRONEWS.CA
Vancouver police unveiled their new $30-million property and forensic storage facility Tuesday that they hope will improve the force’s operations. The 87,000-square-foot building on Glen Drive boasts the country’s largest rotating bicycle rack, which holds up to 465 bikes, 12 to 15 metres in the air. The new facility also houses blood-drying lockers, a bigger garage to process vehicles, and refrigeration systems for blood
Facebook brag leads to fraud bust A Williams Lake man has been busted for fraud after bragging about a big payout from ICBC on Facebook. Corbin Joseph has been fined $2,000 and ordered to pay more than $18,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to fraud and obstruction of justice in connection with his bogus claim.
and DNA exhibits. Evidence from high-profile cases such as the Stanley Cup riot is also stored on automated document storage units. “Being able to secure the evidence and examine it will mean more offenders being identified … and more convictions,” Chief Jim Chu said. Facility manager Ian Wightman said the new facility is “500 per cent better” than the old building at 312 Main St. “In the past on a fourday long weekend, we would come into the old property office and evidence would be piled on The insurance company says Joseph was under a driving prohibition when he rolled his truck on a rural road near Springhouse, a small community west of Williams Lake. So in order to collect insurance, he convinced a friend to tell ICBC that she was the driver. But the corporation’s investigators discovered Joseph bragging on his Facebook page that he had rolled his truck after drinking at a New Year’s Eve party and gotten a large amount of insurance money. PHYLICIA TORREVILLAS
top of evidence,” Wightman said. “Now we come in and nothing’s on the floor. Everything has been put away … nice, neat and tidy.” Mayor Gregor Robertson said it was a great investment by the three levels of government and this will strengthen the VPD’s work to keep the city safe and drive crime rates down. The VPD’s investigative and administrative departments have also expanded and relocated to the former VANOC building on Graveley Street. The municipal, provincial, and federal governments committed $45.3 million to the projects.
Mayor backs reform for election spending A motion to overhaul Vancouver’s election spending isn’t even before council yet, but it already has Gregor Robertson’s support. The mayor announced Tuesday that he fully supports the motion from Vision Vancouver colleague Coun. Andrea Reimer planned for council next week. MATT KIELTYKA