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New Year's Eve revellers well-behaved

Despite the sirens and impromptu fireworks displays around the resort, New Year's Eve 2011 was relatively quiet from a policing point of view.
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Despite the sirens and impromptu fireworks displays around the resort, New Year's Eve 2011 was relatively quiet from a policing point of view.

Over the course of the evening and the early hours of the next morning, RCMP handed out 48 bylaw tickets for open liquor, eight tickets for urinating in public, one ticket for obstructing a peace officer, two tickets for open liquor, one count of consumption of alcohol by a minor, three tickets for possession of alcohol by a minor, and one case with tickets for intoxication and trespassing. A total of 15 people were arrested for being drunk in public and held in cells until sober.

There were 25 traffic tickets for a range of offences such as driving without a seatbelt and two impaired driving charges.

"We're very pleased with how things went," said Staff Sergeant Steve LeClair of the Whistler RCMP. "This is down from previous years. Last season we had 91 tickets for open alcohol, and by my own observations there was way less open drinking."

LeClair said they did respond to a few reports of fights but there were no arrests or injuries.

The number of tickets and incidents has been on the decline for several years. For example, in 2009 there were 39 arrests for drunk in public, and the previous low was 32 in 2008.

Search for Riley Glenn continues

The search is continuing for 25-year-old Riley Glenn of Pemberton, who has been missing since the early hours of Christmas morning. According to CTV, one truck driver reported picking up Glenn at 4 a.m. that morning while hitchhiking from Whistler, bringing him to Vancouver.

At the time of his disappearance he left a letter to the effect that he wanted to be left alone, but there was a concern that it could also be interpreted that he meant to harm himself. If you've seen Glenn, contact the Whistler RCMP at 604-932-3044.

Man recovers iPad, possessions with tracking software

Downloading software that allows you to track your phones and gadgets is worth the money, helping one man to recover his belongings last week.

At 1:41 p.m. on Jan. 1 the police received a report of a vehicle break-in. The passenger window of the vehicle was broken and the thief took a green MEC satchel that had an iPad, passport and other items. Using his iPhone, the owner of the iPad located it in the possession of a male nearby. The man claimed to have found the satchel, but the 47-year-old from Vancouver was arrested for possession of stolen property. He also told them the location of the satchel and passport.

The theft did not take place at the underground at Creekside, although the method of theft — broken window — was similar to over half a dozen cases reported in the underground in the last month. The latest was reported on Dec. 29, and occurred between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. while the owner was skiing. In that case, a backpack-style purse was taken from under the passenger seat, containing a wallet, cell phone and $400 in cash.

The RCMP is investigating whether the incidents could be related.

There were also two home break-ins reported on the 4800 block of Casabella, and in both cases the thief likely entered through a sliding door. At 8:41 p.m. on Dec. 31 the RCMP got a call regarding a theft that likely occurred between 3 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. In that case the thief grabbed two purses containing $120 in cash, credit cards and debit cards. A dog team in town for New Year's Eve was called in to track, but couldn't pick up a scent.

The second call from Casabella came in at 11:11 a.m. on Jan. 1. In that case some personal items including an iPod were missing.

Remote control helicopter triggers emergency call

A resident on Alta Lake contacted the RCMP on Dec. 29 at 4:53 p.m. when he noticed flashing red and blue lights on the lake. Concerned that someone had activated a beacon, he called the police, who brought in Whistler Fire Rescue Services and their cold-water rescue team. After investigating they determined that the lights came from a remote controlled helicopter. If you've lost an RC helicopter in that area, contact the RCMP at 604-932-3044.