A man has been charged for numerous theft-related incidents that had occurred since late January in Clayton Park.
On April 20, Halifax Regional Police was advised of a shoplifting incident at an NSLC located at 214 Chain Lake Drive. Police obtained video of the incident and were able to identify the suspect.
At 8:45 p.m. on April 21, members of the West Quick Response Unit located the suspect driving in the Clayton Park area and followed him. He stopped and parked outside an apartment building on Westgrove Place. After a brief foot pursuit, the suspect was arrested without incident. The suspect was transported to police headquarters and then interviewed. He subsequently admitted to six thefts from motor vehicles since January 25 in the Clayton Park area. In five of these incidents, windows were smashed and items such as a briefcase, backpack, musical instrument, wallet, cell phone and other items were taken. It was also determined that he was driving a motor vehicle while prohibited.
Twenty-nine-year-old Justin Michael Chipman of Halifax was held in custody over the weekend. He appeared in Halifax Provincial Court yesterday to face seven counts of theft under $5,000, seven counts of possession of stolen property under $5,000, five counts of property damage, one count of possessing a break-in instrument and one count of driving while prohibited.
Police remind citizens that thefts from vehicles are typically crimes of opportunity, with the sight of items being a temptation for would-be thieves. Citizens should remove all items from their vehicles. If it is absolutely necessary to leave items in your vehicle, lock them in the trunk out of plain view before arriving at your destination. Anyone observing suspicious activity in or around parked vehicles should report it to police immediately at 902-490-5020.
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Source: Media Release