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Vancouver police put up 19 bright yellow billboards around the city, with dramatic black lettering that reads: “Warning. Be cautious of strangers getting close or asking for help” as an attention-getter for the increasingly prevalent crime during which a thief requests help or offers to give cheap jewelry to an elderly person to distract them during the robbery of expensive jewelry or other valuables.
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“The statement on the billboard directly addresses how thieves target their victims, who are often seniors (one victim this year has been 94 years old) and are East Asian or South Asian,” said VPD spokeswoman Simi Heer in an email.
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Une personne sâapproche de vous et commence à vous toucher, peut-on lire. Elle peut prendre votre bras, votre taille, ou même vous prendre dans les bras. [.] Le temps que vous réaliserez ce quâil se passe, vous nâaurez pas vu que le voleur vous aura pris vos bijoux ou vos objets de valeur.
Ces panneaux envoient un message confus et possiblement dangereux, estime Christine Boyle.
Je m inquiète de lâimpact de ce message dans des situations ou les personnes ont vraiment besoin dâaide et reposent sur la compassion et au soutien des inconnus, poursuit-elle.
Christine Boyle soutient avoir contacté la police de Vancouver par le biais dâemployés municipaux pour leur faire part de ses craintes. Elle espère que les panneaux seront retirés ou que leur message sera modifié.
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