A 32-year-old man is facing numerous charges after the car he was driving collided with a concrete barrier last week, police said.
At 12:18 a.m. on Nov. 12, police were tipped off to the single-vehicle incident on Alta Lake Road. A witness reportedly saw the driver walking away from the vehicle.
Once on the scene, police located the male who was "uncooperative and exhibited signs of impairment." Officers learned the man was a prohibited driver, and he was taken into custody.
He was later released with a future court date.
Suspects distract store clerks before making off with goods
A group of suspects made off with a bag full of stolen merchandise from a village store last week.
On Nov. 12, Whistler RCMP learned of a theft from a business in the 4300 block of Main Street. Two males and a female reportedly entered the store before two of the suspects "distracted the employees while one male put two jackets into a black bag." The male then left the store without paying, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Whistler RCMP at 604-932-3044 or BC Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
'Profanity' scratched onto hood of parked car, police say
Local police are looking into a report of mischief to a parked car last week.
Just before 10:30 p.m. on Nov. 10, Whistler RCMP was notified of a car parked in the 2000 block of Lake Placid Road that had been vandalized. Police said "profanity" was scratched onto the hood as well as a large mark down the driver side of the entire vehicle.
The incident is believed to have occurred sometime between Nov. 7 and 10.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Whistler RCMP or BC Crime Stoppers.
Bike stolen from storage locker
A high-end mountain bike was reportedly taken from an underground storage locker in the village last week.
At 10 p.m. on Nov. 11, police received a report of the theft from a 4800 block of Painted Cliff Road. Two cable locks and a chain-link fence had been cut to gain access, police said.
The bike is described as a 2016 blue Liv Giant women's mountain bike.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Whistler RCMP or BC Crime Stoppers.
Protecting yourself from identity theft and other forms of fraud
November is National Community Safety and Crime Prevention Month, and the head of Whistler RCMP has some tips for protecting yourself against identity theft and other common types of fraud.
Whistler RCMP Sgt. Rob Knapton said identity theft can "happen to anyone," and urged the public to go to extra lengths to protect their personal information both online and offline.
"Don't give out too much information on websites or online," he said, particularly if you're unsure if the website is legitimate. "Another thing is actually dealing with the documents and papers that you have. Shredding personal information is always a good idea rather than throwing it in the trash."
Knapton said it's difficult for police to get a handle on just how prevalent identity theft is in Whistler as it often goes unreported.
One of the most common forms of fraud in the Sea to Sky is rental fraud, Knapton said, when renters will send money online for accommodation before realizing the property doesn't exist or is already occupied once they arrive in the resort.
It can be an issue that's difficult for police to enforce.
"Technically it's not (typically) something that happens here, because it usually involves people who live somewhere else," Knapton said, referring to scammers who post rental ads from all over the globe. "It's not usually (our jurisdiction), but it's probably the most common thing that impacts people in our area."
Knapton said the best bet is to avoid renting properties from less reliable sites like Craigslist or Kijiji. He also said to avoid wiring funds through money services "that can't pull back" the money you've sent in the event of a possible scam.
