Put the chocolate chip mint in the bag and no one gets hurt..Officers with the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) arrested three people Monday night after one of them brandished a firearm while stealing ice cream from a grocery store on Robson Street in what was just one incident over a busy week..“This level of violence associated with petty crimes is shocking and unacceptable,” said Sgt. Steve Addison..The heist occurred around 9 p.m. when a 40-year-old man tried to steal three tubs of ice cream worth a grand total of $21. Staff attempted to stop the thief when two accomplices approached flashing a gun, allowing the thief to get away..Addison says several people called 911 to report the crime, allowing officers to quickly respond and apprehend the suspects. The thief and his alleged accomplices — a 27-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman — were each arrested for robbery..Monday’s incident is in-line with what has become expected in Vancouver..Between January 1 and October 15, VPD investigated 844 “violent” shoplifting cases throughout the city, a 550% increase from 2019, says the department..This past weekend, VPD arrested 32 people and recovered nearly $18,000 in stolen property..VPD says it has seen a surge in people using violence while stealing from businesses. Cases involving weapons such as knives, needles, and bear spray have dramatically increased..Commercial robberies have shot up 126% during the same time..One of the nine people arrested Monday is a 44-year-old thief who allegedly stole more than $730 in cosmetics from a department store. The man has 103 prior criminal convictions, including 38 for theft. It was the second time he’d been arrested for theft in less than a week..On Sunday afternoon, a man walked into a convenience store “brandishing a weapon” before walking out with a box of donuts. The employee called 911 and officers reviewed the security footage. They recognized the suspect, who is a 30-year-old “chronic shoplifter.” He was located and arrested for robbery..A dollar-store security guard was also threatened over the weekend, this time with a butcher knife. The incident unfolded after the security guard asked the thief to pay for his merchandise..Addison said the thefts are “being fuelled by chronic offenders who are living with complex social needs, including addiction, poverty, and mental illness.”.Reid Small is a BC correspondent for the Western Standard.,rsmall@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/reidsmall
