VPD investigating reports of "suspicious" activity against women in Mount Pleasant

Police are investigating after two suspicious events that were reported in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood.

Both events occurred within the past week and took place within one day of each other.

On Sunday, September 20, just before 1 pm, a woman was walking her dog in the area of Main Street and East 1st Avenue.

Police say that she “noticed two men were following her.”

“The men never spoke to her,” writes Constable Tania Visintin in an email to Daily Hive. “It was reported that the men would stare at her and then look at their cell phones when she looked back at them.”

Fortunately, the woman was able to safely return home and called police as “she was suspicious of the actions of the men.”

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The next event occurred on Monday night at approximately 10:3o pm.

Police say that a woman was walking in the area of Scotia Street and East Broadway. An unidentified man driving an older, silver four-door sedan reportedly approached the woman and “asked her to make a phone call for him.”

The woman declined, continued to walk home, and called police shortly after.

Visintin said that she “called police as she had seen warnings on social media” about “reported attempted abductions in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood.”

VPD add that they conducted “an extensive search” for the vehicle in question, but were not able to find it.

Visintin tells Daily Hive that while VPD “have not received” specific reports about “attempted abductions,” they’re actively investigating the two suspicious occurrences.

In addition to reaching out to businesses in the area for video and information, the VPD Sex Crimes Unit has also been engaged in the investigation.

“We are urging anyone who has experienced something similar to please call us,” says Visintin.

“Also, if anyone is ever in any circumstance where something just doesn’t feel ‘right,’ we want them to listen to their gut instincts and call 911.”