Two sharped-eyed Vancouver Police officers are credited with recovering a one-of-a-kind set of golf clubs stolen last week from a vehicle on the city’s west side.
Constables Tyler Dodds and Peter Campbell were on duty in the Downtown Eastside on January 18 when they spotted a man trying to hock the high-end clubs in the Downtown Eastside Street Market – a flea market on West Hastings Street where locals can buy and sell items. Something didn’t seem right, so the constables went to investigate.
They entered the market and saw the man at a table attempting to sell the clubs. When he couldn’t explain where he got them, the officers started an investigation and discovered the clubs had been stolen earlier that day from a vehicle in Kerrisdale. The owner, a former competitive golfer who now teaches children as young as five-years-old, had left the clubs in his car overnight. In the morning, he returned to his car to find the windows smashed. He immediately called police, which helped Constables Dodds and Campbell track him down and return the custom-made clubs, worth more than $10,000.
No charges have been laid, and the investigation continues.
Vancouver Police remind all drivers to not leave valuables in parked vehicles and to immediately report vehicle break-ins to police. Thefts from vehicles can be reported online if suspect has already left. In-progress crimes should be reported to 9-1-1.