Youth blamed for mischief

Halloween is still eight days away, but Oak Bay youth are full of hijinks. Paintballs lobbed at homes, boulders rolled onto Beach Drive and public rowdiness were just some of the complaints heard last week by Oak Bay police.

In terms of a Saturday night Halloween, police are “preparing for the worst and hoping for the best,” Sgt. Dave McMillan said. The number of officers on patrol will be doubled to 10, partially to enforce the fireworks ban that has been in place for two years.

Heads up, please when driving

With fall rains come more motor vehicle crashes, but lack of attention seems to have been the cause of two crunchers last week.

The driver of a 1991 Mazda failed to notice an oncoming vehicle while turning left into the Emmanuel Baptist Church on Cedar Hill Cross Road on Oct. 12, striking an eastbound Nissan Maxima. There were no injuries.

The following day the driver of a 1999 Oldsmobile ran a red light at Oak Bay Avenue and Foul Bay Road, striking a 1991 Pontiac Sunfire. The Sunfire driver had minor injuries but did not require a trip to the hospital.

Senior warns off crawling thief

Oak Bay police are asking residents and visitors to apartment buildings to be vigilant about reporting suspicious people or behaviour.

Last week a resident in a Bee Street seniors’ complex discovered a man in her building crawling down a hallway. The woman had been watching TV and yelled at the man when she found him crawling toward her purse. The man stood up, apologized, and left. The resident didn’t call police, but notified the building manager, who reported the incident.

“Not everyone is brave enough to confront strangers when they see them,” said McMillan, suggesting that reporting strangers in foyers or hallways to building managers is a good plan.

vmoreau@saanichnews.com