Dear Mayor and Council:

Please find below a brief overview of some of the main activity forComox Valley Detachment during the month of August 2008. Included in the August monthly report is an update on the Comox Valley Detachment parking lot expansion, tragic news from a single vehicle motor vehicle collision that occurred near Cumberland, an overview of the “Big Time Out” event in Cumberland, news of arrests in two spray painting incidents that occurred in August as well as news from a large fire that occurred on the road leading to Mt. Washington.

Work has now begun on the parking lot expansion at Comox Valley Detachment. The expansion will provide 14 additional public parking
spaces in front of the detachment which will help ease the congested parking lots at the detachment. The work on the parking lot expansion was started in late August and is scheduled to be completed by early September.

On the evening of August 21 at approximately 8:20 p.m. a single car motor vehicle collision claimed the life of Cumberland resident Ronald
Leeson. The vehicle that Leeson appears to have been driving was
traveling on Comox Lake Road where it left the traveled portion of the
road and rolled several times before coming to rest. It appears as
though both Leeson and the passenger, Anthony Jones, were thrown from
the vehicle. Leeson was pronounced dead at the scene and Jones was
airlifted to Victoria with serious head and chest injuries.
Investigators are looking at both speed and alcohol as possible
contributing factors in the collision.

The Big Time Out festival that took place in Cumberland during August
appears to have been a success. The only concern from a policing
perspective were the numerous noise complaints and complaints of public
drinking that occurred well into the early morning hours of August 18th.
Due to the volume of complaints received members were unable to attend
every call for service in the Cumberland area. Members of the
detachment management team have met with representatives from Cumberland
and have addressed issues that will help to streamline the policing of
the festival in the coming years.

Members of the Comox Valley Detachment made arrests in two separate
incidents of “tagging” in the Courtenay area on August 29th. In the
first incident a male was arrested after he was observed spray painting
a bus stop in the area of the Rialto Theatre. Members of the local
Citizens on Patrol group followed the male until detachment members
arrived and arrested the male. The male subsequently admitted to
numerous incidents of tagging throughout the Comox Valley over the past
year. In the second incident two males were arrested following a
complaint of tagging in the area of the “Old House” in Courtenay.
After receiving the information members of the Comox Valley Detachment
attended the area and located two males who matched the description of
the males involved. Following the arrests both males admitted to the
tagging in the area of the Old House. Charges of Mischief Under $5,000
are being pursued in each instance.

On August 12th a report was received of a power line fire on Strathcona
Parkway, the road leading to the Mt. Washington ski resort. The
investigation has revealed that 3 B.C. Hydro power regulators had been
damaged by gunshots. The damage to the power lines is estimated to be
in the area of $100,000. The power to the Mt. Washington area was expected to be disrupted for up to four days due to the extent of the
damage and the investigation is continuing into this incident.

In summary, August was a busy month for members of the Comox Valley
R.C.M.P. Detachment. The continued attention being paid to identifying
the individuals responsible for some of the tagging in the Comox Valley
is paying off. The arrests of 3 males on the same day has helped to
identify those responsible for some of the tagging seen around the area.
Further suspects who are believed to be responsible for other tagging
in the Comox Valley area have been identified and are being
investigated. The addition of several parking places at the detachment
will help to ease the parking congestion for the general public
attending the detachment.

(T.E. GRAY), Inspector
Officer In Charge
Comox Valley Detachment

Cpl. Ken Simmons
NCO i/c Client Services
RCMP
Comox Valley Detachment
800 Ryan Road
Courtenay, B.C.
(250) 338-1321