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Rcmp
Vernon RCMP on the lookout for wanted man
VERNON - Police are asking you to keep an eye out for a wanted man. A warrant for theft of a motor vehicle and possession of stolen property relating to a Dec. 17 incident in Vernon was issued Dec. 18 for Dale Christopher Babiy, 22. Babiy is described as Caucasian, and 5’4” tall, 150 lbs,...
Vernon RCMP seek rightful owner of professional photography equipment
VERNON - A box of photography equipment is the latest in a string of items the Vernon RCMP is hoping to reunite with its rightful owner. Vernon RCMP recovered a black plastic box of professional style photography equipment on Jan. 5, 2016, Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy said. The equipment is believed to have been stolen. ...
Vernon RCMP want to know if you can identify this man
VERNON - Police in Vernon want to know if you recognize a man caught on video surveillance. On Dec. 18, a trailer and Polaris ATV were stolen from the 5300 block of 27th Avenue in Vernon, Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says in a release. They were later recovered in the 5500 block of Willow Place in Vernon....
Salmon Arm RCMP warn of bad driving conditions
SALMON ARM – Several close calls on slippery roads have prompted a warning for the…
Suspects sought in Kelowna arson
KELOWNA - The search is on for two suspects after a Mercedes was set ablaze early Tuesday night in Kelowna. Just before 7 p.m., Jan. 5, a man looked outside his home in the 400 block of Sutton Crescent after hearing a loud crashing noise. He found his silver Mercedes CLK3 on fire. RCMP and...
Vernon RCMP issue road warning after numerous accidents
VERNON - Drivers are being warned to take it slow on local roads today. Persistent snowfall today, Jan. 4, is creating slippery conditions on Vernon roads and highways. The slick conditions have prompted a police warning to take extra precautions to avoid a crash. “There have been numerous accidents on Highway 97 from the Crystal...
Woman jumps from moving vehicle in attempt to evade Vernon police officer
VERNON - A woman with several outstanding warrants made a dramatic, yet unsuccessful, attempt to flee from police in Vernon. An officer patrolling the area of 30 Avenue noticed a white Chevrolet truck speeding around 3 a.m. Dec. 31 and attempted to pull over the driver. Instead of stopping, the driver fled south on 35...
2015 TOP STORIES: Marijuana goes mainstream as legalization looms
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Marijuana made the news so much in 2015 you could almost smell it wafting across Canada. Supporters could definitely smell change in the air as outright legalization of the drug became part of Justin Trudeau's winning campaign in the 2015 federal election. No sooner was he elected that unions started proposing responsible ways...
Christmas package leads to drug charges in Kelowna
KELOWNA - A Christmas package destined for Kelowna was actually filled with drugs and two Kelowna residents are now facing multiple charges. Officers became aware of an overseas shipment destined for a Kelowna address on Dec. 11. Officers in the Kelowna RCMP Drug Section believed the shipment contained 100 litres of Gamma Butyrolactone, commonly known...
Man back in custody minutes after leaving Penticton court
PENTICTON - A man found sleeping in a truck filled with stolen items made a court appearance yesterday, and then was taken back into custody just minutes after leaving the court house when he was witnessed stealing a cash box. The man, who is well known to police, was arrested Dec. 23 after residents reported...
Unlocked vehicle leads to theft from Lake Country garage
LAKE COUNTRY - Parked vehicles left unlocked, two with garage door openers inside, led to the theft of electronics and loose change this morning, as well as tools and fishing gear from a garage. A vehicle parked in the 9800 block Sonata Road in Lake Country was broken into sometime before 9 a.m. today, Dec....
Highway rollover sends man to Kelowna General Hospital
KELOWNA - A rollover on Highway 97 early this morning has sent a 20-year-old man to hospital with serious injuries. The man was driving a white Chevrolet Blazer northbound on the highway when it hit snow at the intersection with Leckie Road around 6:50 a.m., Kelowna RCMP says in a press release. The vehicle slid...
Crash closes Connector between Merritt and Highway 5A
MERRITT - The Okanagan Connector was closed between Merritt and Highway 5A after a car crash this afternoon. Details are limited but multiple emergency vehicles responded to the vehicle incident, Dec. 28, including a B.C. Ambulance helicopter. Some reports on social media said the crash was a rollover. Drive B.C. says Highway 97C, east of...
Kelowna canine crime fighter retires after successful career
KELOWNA – He’s taken millions of dollars worth of drugs and drug money off the streets but also enjoys his time visiting sick kids in the hospital. RCMP service dog Whiskey has retired after eight years on the job in the Okanagan and Kamloops. Since he graduated with honours from the Police Dog Training Centre...
Massive gun-bust case tossed due to numerous mistakes by Kamloops Mounties
KAMLOOPS - After RCMP raided a Kamloops trailer filled with guns and ammunition in December 2013, they displayed their haul at the RCMP detachment where the city’s top cop posed for pictures and told reporters about the dangers of illegal firearms. They got multiple weapons including shotguns and chopped up, rebuilt long guns, ammunition, drugs...
A dog bite, an arrest, an RCMP firing and lots of finger-pointing in Vernon neighbour dispute
VERNON - A bitter dispute between neighbours is playing out publicly in Vernon after one man claims to have been set up by a retired policeman, who has since been fired from a civilian position with the Vernon detachment. The case, which began with an alleged dog bite, was supposed to be heard in court,...
Missing Red Deer man could be in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - A 19-year-old who has not been seen for more than a week may have travelled to Kamloops. Members with the Red Deer RCMP detachment are searching for Conor DeMerchant, who was last seen in Red Deer Dec. 5. Police think he may have travelled to either Kamloops or Edmonton. DeMerchant is 5’9” tall,...
Penticton man pleads guilty to transporting illegal firearms through Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - A Penticton man who paid two teenagers to drive him and a trunk full of guns to the Fraser Valley before being chased throughout Kamloops’ Aberdeen neighbourhood won’t be out of jail until late next year after receiving his sentence today, Dec. 7. Nicolas Stephen Galbraith, 29, was supposed to have his trial...
Vernon marijuana dispensaries suspend retail sales in response to RCMP warning
VERNON - A coalition of Vernon marijuana dispensaries is calling for a moratorium on RCMP raids. The dispensaries are asking the RCMP to cease intervention until the new Liberal government formalizes its plans for legalization of the product, according to a statement from Imre Kovacs, a spokesperson for the coalition. Vernon’s five marijuana dispensaries were...
Vernon parking meter thief caught in the act
VERNON - A man suspected of breaking into over 100 parking meters has been caught. Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says in a statement a 34-year-old man was arrested breaking into a parking meter on Centennial Drive on Friday, Dec. 4 at around 1 a.m. “To date, approximately 113 parking meters have been broken into in the...
HELSTON: The outlaws in ‘Weed Country’ aren’t going quietly
It might have been novel five years ago in Vernon to see a medical marijuana dispensary, but these days you can find them next-door to downtown cafes, across from the mall, and around the corner from your neighbourhood gym.
UPDATE: Missing Vernon man found
UPDATE: 1:04 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015 VERNON - Vernon RCMP have confirmed Fraser Gerrard, 25, who last seen on Nov. 19 has been located and is safe and sound. 12:15 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015 VERNON - Police are appealing to the public for help finding a man not seen since last week. Fraser...
RCMP say ‘possible actions’ may be taken against Vernon marijuana dispensaries
VERNON - Police are confirming they visited five marijuana dispensaries in Vernon and say further action could be taken in the future. Officers visited the dispensaries to ‘outline our concerns and the potential ramifications related to business practices which do not comply with the current Controlled Drugs and Substances Act’, Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says in...
Vernon marijuana dispensaries warned by police to shut down
VERNON - Medical marijuana dispensaries in Vernon have been warned to close their doors. Hasia Glaim co-owns MMJ Total Health Care on 31 Avenue downtown Vernon and was surprised to get a visit from the Vernon RCMP Nov. 24. “We were given a verbal warning to shut down as we are operating illegally and we...