A Pride flag stolen from the New Westminster police station earlier this summer has found its way home.
On June 17, staff at the New Westminster Police Department noticed their Pride flag was missing from its home in front of the police station on Columbia Street. Police reviewed video footage from the previous night and saw a man scaling the flag pole and stealing the flag.
A NWPD press release said the department’s street crime unit set out to identify the individual in the video and to locate the Pride flag.
Mission accomplished.
“On Sept. 16 2021, with the assistance of the crime reduction unit, a suspect was safely taken into custody,” stated the press release. “The suspect returned the Pride flag to officers.”
In an email to the Record, a police spokesperson said an individual has been charged with theft.
According to the NWPD, the New Westminster Police Department flies the Pride flag in solidarity with the LGBTQ2+ community and to honour New West Pride celebrations.
“I am incredibly pleased with the work done by our members on this file,” Deputy Chief Const. Paul Hyland said in the news release. “While the dollar value of this theft was small, what it represented was not, so catching the person responsible so they can be held accountable was very important.”
