Vancouver police investigate series of robberies at downtown small businesses

A series of robberies in downtown Vancouver over the past few months have sparked an investigation by police.

Vancouver police say since the end of October, they have received at least nine robbery reports at small businesses downtown.

“The suspect has typically been armed with a knife while he walked around the counter and emptied the cash registers,” Const. Jason Doucette said.

The suspect has been described as a white man, between 30 and 40 years old, with a medium build and dark hair.

“It’s a good idea for merchants to test their security equipment to ensure everything is working, and to know how to view and retrieve the footage for police,” Doucette said.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 604-717-2541, and store employees are being asked by police to call 911 if they notice any suspicious behaviour.