Jessica Murphy

A recent wave of thefts from vehicles in Westmount may drop, thanks to the cooperation of Westmount's Public Security unit and Station 12 police.

On the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 1:10 a.m., PSOs Steve Payne and Tina Lanzon were patrolling the streets of lower Westmount when they spotted a man acting suspiciously, said Public Security Director Richard Bourdon.

The man in question was lurking behind a home on Dorchester Boulevard near Bruce Avenue. Payne got out of the patrol car and was able to watch the man as he entered vehicles parked at two homes on Bruce Avenue.

Station 12 police were called in, and they arrived within minutes, eventually arresting the suspect in the backyard of a home on Columbia Avenue.

"They caught him," said Bourdon. "We're having another wave of thefts from vehicles, so perhaps we resolved a portion of that."

Three new officers are part of a new operational team serving the Station 12 territory.

The project-based action module is just over a month old and has already been involved in three arrests. "This is something that's needed," said Station 12 Constable Adalbert Pimentel.

The team works on a per project basis which allows them to develop specific strategies and target problems that have been identified in selected areas. This module, known as 'MAP,' unites officers with different types of expertise and allows them to combine investigative, intelligence, prevention and suppression knowledge for more complete, lasting interventions.

The MAP's specific responsibilities include collecting and sharing information, identifying specific problem areas related to crime, and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of patrols on police territory.

In Westmount, the MAP team has been working to quell noise and graffiti complaints in local parks.

Montreal police are on the lookout for a suspect wanted in a series of armed robberies.

In early September, the suspect entered a tanning salon in LaSalle and tried to steal money from the cash register but ran away when he realized that other customers were in the store. The same suspect is linked to a rash of robberies in Lasalle, Westmount and downtown - 27 in all.

Police have been hunting the man since August 2007 and this time, they got lucky: the suspect's image was captured on a security camera.

He would usually choose a store without video surveillance, then approach an employee to inquire about products and services. Then, he would demand money from the cash register. If the employee didn't obey right away, he would brandish a firearm previously hidden in his pants or coat pocket.

The suspect is described as a white male about 50 years old. He has grey hair and brown eyes, weighs about 150 lbs and stands 5'6" (160 cm and roughly 68 kg).

He speaks with a strong French accent, has a missing tooth and looks un-kept. He's notorious for having dirty hands. At the time of the LaSalle robbery, he was wearing a blue jeans and black shirt with white stripes. He is believed to have robbed a store in Westmount on March 31.