When employees of the BC Cancer Foundation on West Broadway in Vancouver arrived at work Monday morning they were greeted by shattered glass in the doorway and several ransacked offices.
Sometime after midnight Saturday there was a break-in, according to acting President and CEO Lou Del Gobbo.
“We tried to secure the office but it was broken into again Sunday morning and that’s when more things were taken,” he said.
The thieves took off with several computers, monitors and a TV. They also tried to pry open a file cabinet with the label ‘Funds’ on it.
“We don’t keep cheques or cash on the property,” said Del Gobbo.
The foundation has also assured donors they do not have to worry about personal or financial information being compromised as all sensitive information is housed on a network drive and is not stored directly on the hard drives.
Erik Dierks, Vice President of Development at the foundation, was the first one at the office Monday morning. His computer was gone and there were papers scattered everywhere. But he was most upset about the loss of the bike he has used twice to raise money in the annual Ride to Conquer Cancer fundraising event.
“It just felt like such a violation,” Dierks said. “The BC Cancer Foundation is the largest funder of cancer research in the province. Who would do this?”
Vancouver Police Constable Brian Montague said in a statement an investigation is underway.
“It is very unfortunate that the BC Cancer Foundation and its staff, who are dedicated to saving lives, have been the victims of not one, but two break-ins and the loss and damage of property,” he said. “Our investigators have seized evidence and video related to the cases and are hopeful that a suspect will be identified and arrested.”
It remains unclear how the thieves managed to break into the secure building twice since New Year’s Eve. It’s hoped video seized from cameras in the hallways will help police identify them.
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