Officers with the Burnaby RCMP Community Response Team acted fast following a report of a theft at a business in a local mall, arresting two suspects within minutes.

 Just after 11:20 AM on August 20,  Community Response Team members were conducting proactive patrols at a local mall in the 4700-block of Kingsway, when they received a report of a theft at a store involving two suspects. Officers quickly responded, taking one man into custody within the first two minutes following the report. Four minutes later, a woman was also taken into custody.

 Police recovered $2400 worth of sunglasses and returned the stolen goods to the business. One of the suspects was initially held in custody on an unrelated warrant from Vancouver. Both suspects were released on a notice to appear in court at a future date. 

 “Retail theft negatively impacts businesses, employees and customers. To those who are committing these types of crimes in Burnaby, know that we will find you and arrest you,” said Sgt. Neil Jones with the Community Response Team. “We want everyone in our community to feel safe, and our team will continue to take steps to prevent and interrupt retail crime.”

 The Burnaby RCMP Community Response Team (CRT) is a specialized unit whose members are strategically deployed throughout the city. They conduct visible patrols to help deter crime along with targeted and covert operations focused on repeat violent offences and retail theft. The team also works closely with local partners to better understand and respond to issues affecting the community.