Rural property crime wave: Abby PD recover $500,000 in stolen vehicles from rural properties in Abbotsford, Mission
Large operation targets prolific property offenders to blame for surge in criminal activity
The Abbotsford Police Department (AbbyPD) reports a 67 per cent increase in property crime in the Sumas Prairie area between Jan. 1 and May 1, 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
Investigators have identified several repeat prolific property offenders believed to be actively involved in the recent surge in criminal activity within the area, according to an APD news release issued Wednesday (June 4, 2025),
In response, the AbbyPD Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) launched an investigation targeting these individuals, and on May 20, with support from the AbbyPD Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), the Lower Mainland District Integrated Emergency Response Team (LMD IERT), and the LMD Integrated Police Dog Services (IPDS), a search warrant was executed at a property in the 39900-block of Campbell Road in Abbotsford just west of Yarrow in the southwest corner of Chilliwack.
A second search warrant was executed on May 23 at a property in the 8700-block of Miles Road on Hatzic Island in Mission.
The searches resulted in the recovery of a significant amount of stolen property, including:
• Three vehicles
• Five ATVs/UTVs
• Two motorcycles
• One travel trailer
• One tractor
• One skid steer
The estimated total value of the recovered stolen property is approximately $500,000, according to the APD. The CRU investigation is ongoing with a goal of gathering enough evidence for charge approval.
"APD remains committed to holding those involved in property crime accountable," according to the APD release. "We continue to deploy both overt and covert strategies in the Sumas Prairie area to ensure community safety and disrupt criminal activity. This approach is being supported by our Patrol Officers, and AbbyPD’s Street Outreach Response Team (SORT).
"AbbyPD encourages residents in the Sumas Prairie area to continue reporting any suspicious activity to police."
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Paul J. Henderson
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