Campbell River RCMP say a pair of recent crimes shows the “violence and desperation” that they are seeing more frequently in the city.
In one case, a male wearing a mask and browsing in a store grabbed a knife from a display, held it to a staff member and demanded money, police said.
Since the business does not conduct cash sales, the man ran off with little of value.
Police responded quickly to the Jan. 15 incident but did not find the perpetrator.
In another case on Jan. 4, a masked male entered a bank and passed a note saying he would shoot if he didn’t get money. He escaped with a limited amount of property, but police would not say if it was cash.
Police did not specify if the masks worn in the incidents were COVID-related or not.
“It’s very important for the public to understand that these crimes typically cannot be solved in an hour like on TV,” said Const. Maury Tyre. “There is no magic CSI group with a cool soundtrack that can return DNA analysis in a minute.”
Police ask anyone with information to call Campbell River RCMP at 250-286-6221.
jbell@timescolonist.com
