Fish hooks at eye level: Vancouver community garden vandalized with dangerous booby traps
Posted September 30, 2020 10:35 am.
Last Updated September 30, 2020 10:45 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – People who run a community garden in Vancouver are on edge after someone set up disturbing booby traps on their property last week.
Const. Tania Visintin with the Vancouver Police Department says officers were called to the coFood Collaborative Garden Project at East 4th Avenue and Scotia Street on Thursday.
“There were things like trip wires, a wooden plank with nails sticking out of it, and fish hooks at eye level that were all seen in the park by attending officers,” she tells NEWS 1130.
Trip wires, a wooden plank with nails sticking out, & fish hooks at eye level. Those are the disturbing & dangerous booby traps found at a community garden in #Vancouver last week. coFood Collaborative Garden Project is warning ppl. to be vigilant. No suspects have been ID'd. pic.twitter.com/J9lZlw8gfD
— Monika Gul (@MonikaGul) September 30, 2020
It’s not clear who set the traps up or why, but Visintin says efforts to identify any suspects have not been fruitful so far.
“Our members did speak with people in the neighbourhood. We also did canvass for video, especially any video connected to residences in the area,” Visintin explains, adding officers have been in touch with neighbours to offer safety tips.
She admits the result could have been very bad, noting how dangerous some of the “traps” were.
“It’s not something we see every day, that’s for sure.”
A Facebook post on the coFood Collaborative Garden Project page warns gardeners to be vigilant, adding this is the first act of vandalism “with apparent malicious intent” at the garden.
“We do not currently have security measures in place; we have consulted with the police and are considering our options,” the post reads. “Our team of four core garden stewards will apply our collective decision-making processes to this situation.”
Gardeners are urged to avoid being in the garden alone at night and to watch where they step, “especially between structures or near trees.” The community is also being asked to call police if they see anything suspicious.
