Richmond Mounties don’t have any evidence to anchor a dangerous act of vandalism, that left a volunteer rescue boat high and dry, to a string of graffiti incidents across the city last week.
Despite an unusual spike in high-profile vandalism, RCMP spokesperson Const. Adrianna Peralta told the News they do not consider the matters linked, mainly due to the time difference between the two events.
Peralta said the bouts of spray painted graffiti took place sometime between last Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, while the damage of the vessel operated by the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSR) Station 10, based on the middle arm of the Fraser River, occurred Friday.
An RCMSR volunteer crew discovered the inflatable boat’s tubes had been punctured with a screw and gasoline had been poured all over the deck of the vessel, rendering it inoperable for crew members.
A closer inspection showed the boat’s hydraulic steering lines had also been cut.
“(The hydraulic) lines are very small and someone would have to know their way around a boat to do this; I doubt this was some young punk,” said the station’s Brian Hobbs.
“If there was no other damage, such as the puncture and gas, and we’d taken the vessel out, it could have proved very dangerous with the hydraulics cut.”
To gain access to the boat — which is community owned and serves the waters around Richmond — the vandals cut through a front gate lock before prying open a second locked door.
The damage left the local waters with one less safety responder.
In 2013, the crew participated in almost 40 community events and maintained a 24/7 emergency response. It was tasked to 39 missions last year, almost 40 per cent of them in support of the Canadian Coast Guard.
Repairs to the boat are expected to run into several thousands of dollars.
The Strait of Georgia Marine Rescue Society, which fundraises for the RCMSR, is offering a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest.
Meanwhile, graffiti damage to the cenotaph outside Richmond City Hall had mostly been removed by Monday. Faint traces of black spray paint remained on the 92-year-old monument’s granite surface.
City spokesperson Kim Decker said the rest of the paint will be gently removed using cotton swabs dipped in acetone.
The cenotaph, plus numerous public art installations along River Road from Cambie Road to the Olympic Oval were targeted.
Some sites in Steveston at Britannia Heritage Shipyard were also hit.
One veteran said he was saddened to see a monument to those who gave of themselves defaced in such a manner.
William Spencer, president of the Royal Canadian Legion’s Branch 291, said he couldn’t fathom why someone would commit such an act and was concerned how much it would cost to repair the damage.
Anyone with information about either incident can call the RCMP at 604-278-1212.
