By Ian Holmes

Nuisance property designation slapped on Nanaimo home recently raided by RCMP

Nov 20, 2018 | 9:31 AM

NANAIMO — The tables could be turned on the owner of a north Nanaimo property which has been linked to drugs, guns, stolen property and noise.

City Council slapped a nuisance property designation on 5350 Metral Dr., which allows for cost recovery associated with police, fire and City staff resources spent dealing with nuisance related call-outs.

The address was connected to the arrests of three people after a high-profile RCMP raid on Nov. 1, in which police reported drugs, guns and stolen property were seized.

Nearby resident Chelsea Hall told NanaimoNewsNOW property crime has been a dominant issue in the neighbourhood.

“This all started within 2018, I’m hoping if this home gets shut down the thefts will stop.”

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RCMP Cst. Gary O’Brien earlier told NanaimoNewsNOW the Metral Dr. property near Godfrey Rd. was directly linked to the increase in theft in the whole north end.

O’Brien said police found upwards of 40 bikes in an outbuilding on the property after the Nov.1 bust.

Hall, a five-year resident of Jeevans Rd., said people in the area have been forced to be constantly on guard, including her husband and neighbours who patrolled the area overnight Monday.

“We’ve had a lot of vehicle break-ins and people cruising the streets in the middle of the night just looking for any opportunity to steal things around our properties.”

Hall has a meeting scheduled with Cst. O’Brien this week to establish a Block Watch for her neighbourhood.

She said a positive to emerge from the spike in crime was increased communication among neighbours to help look after each other’s belongings.

Records show RCMP responded to 5350 Metral Dr. a total of 58 times since 2009, including 20 matters in 2018.

Dave Laberge, the City’s community safety manager, said the property has been the source of repeated municipal violations, particularly over the past two years.

“Most recently I’m told that an individual came to the yard with a bat calling out the occupants of the house,” Laberge said.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes