Latest news with #MetroVancouverTransitPolice
Vancouver Sun
08-08-2025
- Vancouver Sun
Teenage boys charged with string of B.C. transit robberies, assault
A string of death threats, assaults and robbery have resulted in criminal charges against two teenage boys from the Lower Mainland. Three charges of robbery, two charges of uttering threats and one charge of assault have been approved against a 14-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy. Neither of them can be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Detectives from Metro Vancouver Transit Police linked three robberies and an assault on the transit system. They took place on trains and in stations in Port Moody, Burnaby and Coquitlam over about six weeks across late March and early April, targeting other teens on the transit system. Just before 10 p.m. on March 29, two people confronted an 18-year-old on a train at Moody Centre Station in Port Moody, threatening to kill him before assaulting him. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. On the afternoon of April 6, two 15-year-old boys were on board a train at Burquitlam Station in Coquitlam when they were approached and ordered to hand over their mobile phones. A 13-year-old boy was approached at the station soon after and ordered to hand over his wallet. On April 7, just after 3 p.m., cash was demanded from two 15-year-old boys at Lougheed SkyTrain Station in Burnaby. One boy was grabbed and his wallet ripped form his pocket. The suspects have been released from custody with a multitude of court-ordered conditions including not to enter SkyTrain property unless in the immediate company of a guardian, not to possess weapons, and 24-hour house arrest. 'Young people often rely on the transit system to get them to where they need to go,' said Const. Amanda Steed. 'They deserve to feel safe at all times. We encourage parents and teens to ensure that Transit Police contact numbers are saved in their phone and that they have reviewed our safety tips prior to heading out on the system.' If you, or someone you know has been the victim of a similar crime, and you have not yet spoken to police, please call (604) 515-8300 or text 87.77.77.
CTV News
26-06-2025
- CTV News
18-year-old arrested for assaulting middle school student on New Westminster bus, police say
A Metro Vancouver Transit Police officer is seen in this undated image. (Metro Vancouver Transit Police/Facebook) An 18-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a 13-year-old middle school student on a Metro Vancouver bus. The incident occurred on June 19 in New Westminster, according to a news release from Metro Vancouver Transit Police. Around 3:30 that afternoon, the victim boarded a bus on 8th Avenue with a group of other students, police said, adding that the 13-year-old was headed home from school. 'A few stops later, the student stood up to exit the bus and accidentally bumped an 18-year-old man with his backpack,' the MVTP statement reads. 'The man then allegedly grabbed the student by the throat and punched them multiple times. Both the suspect and the student departed the bus, at different stops.' Police said they received 'multiple phone calls and text messages' reporting the incident, and were soon able to identify the suspect. He was arrested on June 20 and has since been released with conditions. MVTP did not name the suspect, and there are no online court records related to the police file number, indicating that charges have not yet been laid. 'Transit police would like to thank the young witnesses who came forward, supported by their parents, to share their information with officers,' said Const. Amanda Steed, in the release. 'We understand that it can be difficult to recount something deeply upsetting that a person has experienced or witnessed, and would like to commend these students for finding the courage to do so.' Transit police said they 'continue to work closely with school administration' to address concerns about student safety on transit. They asked anyone with information about the June 19 assault who has not yet spoken to investigators to call 604-515-8300, or text 87-77-77.
CTV News
20-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
B.C. program targeting repeat violent offenders receives funding boost
British Columbia's Minister for Public Safety and Solicitor General Gary Begg meets with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin during the swearing-in ceremony at Government House in Victoria, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito SURREY — British Columbia's public safety minister says the provincial government is adding another $6 million to a policing initiative targeting repeat violent offenders. Gary Begg says the money for the Special Investigation and Targeted Enforcement program will build on the initiative's past successes in leading to more than 2,600 criminal charges since its launch in 2023. Begg says the funding has supported nearly 150 investigations in dozens of communities, leading to 'substantial' seizures of weapons, drugs and stolen goods. The minister, who's a former RCMP officer, says policing challenges have been made more complex as 'mental health struggles, the toxic opioid crisis and homelessness have intensified in recent years.' Begg says the program was launched originally as a three-year pilot project aimed at boosting policing capacity, and police departments now say it's 'as a critical tool in combating repeat violence.' He says the funding for the program has benefited agencies, including the Metro Vancouver Transit Police, and is also credited by Vancouver police for a substantial drop in violent crime along the city's Hastings Street. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
20-06-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
B.C. Public Safety Minister says program funding targets repeat violent offenders
SURREY – British Columbia's public safety minister says the provincial government is adding another $6 million to a policing initiative targeting repeat violent offenders. Gary Begg says the money for the Special Investigation and Targeted Enforcement program will build on the initiative's past successes in leading to more than 2,600 criminal charges since its launch in 2023. Begg says the funding has supported nearly 150 investigations in dozens of communities, leading to 'substantial' seizures of weapons, drugs and stolen goods. The minister, who's a former RCMP officer, says policing challenges have been made more complex as 'mental health struggles, the toxic opioid crisis and homelessness have intensified in recent years.' Begg says the program was launched originally as a three-year pilot project aimed at boosting policing capacity, and police departments now say it's 'as a critical tool in combating repeat violence.' He says the funding for the program has benefited agencies, including the Metro Vancouver Transit Police, and is also credited by Vancouver police for a substantial drop in violent crime along the city's Hastings Street. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025.
CTV News
19-06-2025
- CTV News
High-risk sex offender charged in SkyTrain groping, transit police say
Hayden McCorriston was the subject of a public warning by the Vancouver Police Department on April 17, 2025. A 'high-risk sex offender' has been charged with sexual assault after allegedly groping a teenage girl in Surrey earlier this year. Metro Vancouver Transit Police announced Thursday that 30-year-old Hayden McCorriston had been charged with sexual assault in connection to an April 18 incident at Gateway SkyTrain Station. Around 9 p.m. that day, McCorriston allegedly followed a 17-year-old girl off of a train and groped her as she walked along the platform. The suspect then fled the station when the girl approached other passengers for help. At the time of the assault, the Vancouver Police Department had just issued a public warning about McCorriston, saying that he was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for breaching the conditions of his release from prison. It was the second warning the VPD had issued about McCorriston in as many days. He was also the subject of a public warning when he was released to a Vancouver halfway house on April 17. According to police, McCorriston had obtained statutory release after serving two-thirds of his three-year, two-month sentence, which he received in 2023 after pleading guilty to five counts of sexual assault, two counts of assault, one count of assault by choking, one count of committing an indecent act, and one count of robbery. In their news release Thursday, transit police said McCorriston remains in custody. 'Everyone has the right to arrive at their transit destination safely, and without the fear of harassment or assault,' said Const. Amanda Steed, in the release. 'Thanks to this young woman's quick thinking, officers were able to conduct investigative steps that identified the suspect and make an arrest.' With files from CTV News Vancouver's Andrew Weichel
