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BOGE
February

16, 1986

ae oe

ed 986-6222

| Family escapes flames

A NORTH Vancouver family escaped a fire unharmed early Thursday morning, but their home was

destroyed by flames.

The husband was out of the house at 1388 Monashee Drive, when the wife was awakened by a noise.
Realizing there was a fire, she escaped the house with her teenage son and called the fire department

from a neighbor’s home.

North Vancouver District Fire Department received the call af 6:35 a.m. and dispatched two engines

and a ladder.

A backup engine was later called to assist in bringing the fire under control.

were still extinguishing spot fires.
The fire department is continuing its investigation but has aot yet determined the cause.

Below, a fireman hoses down the remnants of the fire. Right, charred wood is all that remains of the

Monashee home.

GYPSIES operating a theft ring in the Lower Mainland
have struck businesses on the North Shore, prompting
North Vancouver RCMP to issue a public warning.

Cpl. Don Jette said there have
been 10 incidents of theft in North
Vancouver, and although some
charges have been laid, store
owners should be cautious.

GROUP WORK

“These people believe they have
the right to steal and that its a
disgrace to get caught," Jette said.
“They're usually non-violent, but
very aggressive."

By KIM PEMBERTON
News Reporter

He said the gypsies will work in
groups of three to five people,
which allows one of the members
to set up a distraction, such as
knocking over a store item, while
the others steal from the store.

The gypsies have stolen such
irems as food, electronics equip-

By 2 p.m. firefighters

ment, expensive clothing, VCRs,
cameras and television sets.

The women will wear full skirts,
with pocket aprons and the men
often wear long full coats, with in-
side pockets.

Jette said in Vancouver one man
was arrested with three bottles of
cooking oil stuffed in his sock, and
another tried to leave a store carry-
ing a down quilt.

TASK FORCE
Vancouver City Police setup a

special street task force to conduci
a month-long surveillance of the

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gypsies, who are known to travel
from one metropolitan city to the
MexXt.

This particular band is of Polish
descent.

Two weeks avo 13 charges were
laid, involving some incidents
which occurred on the North
Share.

Inspector Brittain) of
Vancouver City) Police said) the
seven-member task force bad to
make arrests outside its jurisdic-
tien when the gypsies they were
following committed crimes on the
North Shore,

“Normally we would involve the

Harold

local jurisdictien, but this type of
thing is dune so quickly we didn’t
have time,’’ he said.

ON ALERT

Brittain agreed that storekeepers
should remain alert, but in Van-
couver there have been no more
reports of gypsy-related thefts.

“The publicity has thrown them
off bulance,’’ he said.

Anyone with information about
the theft ring is asked to contact
Cst. Jane Cameron of the North
Vancouver RCMP detachment at
985-1311.