VPD receive additional reports of "suspicious male approaching females"
Police in Vancouver have received more reports regarding “a suspicious male approaching females.”
Less than a week ago, the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) began investigating reports of suspicious activity against women in Mount Pleasant.
One event occurred on Sunday, September 20, and another took place on Monday, September 21.
The first incident involved two men following a woman who was walking her dog, and the second involved a male driver approaching a woman and asking her to make a phone call for him.
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VPD announced that they’ve since received “additional reports” over a suspicious male and thanked everyone who has contacted police to date.
“As previously stated, we are taking this matter seriously and are encouraging people to call us right away if they see something suspicious, or if they are approached by someone suspicious,” said police in a tweet.
“We would also like to talk to people directly who have been impacted or victimized.”
#VPDNews: the Vancouver Police Department is asking the public to continue reporting incidents to #9-1-1 if their safety (or someone they know) is at risk. Please see the attached update. pic.twitter.com/pfBMx9tCSc
— Vancouver Police (@VancouverPD) September 28, 2020
Police add that frontline officers are paying “special attention” to the issue and that members of VPD’s sex crime unit are also investigating.
Constable Tania Visintin, spokesperson for the VPD, told Daily Hive that “nothing right now leads them to believe it is the same suspect” in these incidents.
Visintin also said that the location of these reports has been spread throughout the city and is not limited to the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood.
Since the suspicious incidents were reported one week ago, a group of volunteers has set up a safe walk program in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood.
A new Instagram account called @mountpleasantsafewalk says it’s putting together a volunteer network of people who will accompany residents on their walks home.
Safe walk programs are already a familiar sight on university campuses across the country, and these individuals want to bring a similar one to the neighbourhood.
According to their stories posted to Instagram, they’ve already received several dozen volunteer applications and are working on vetting individuals.
With files from Megan Devlin
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