Police seek tips after fish hooks, trip wires and nails left in Vancouver community garden

Vancouver police say they've run out of leads in their investigation into who set potentially dangerous traps in a community garden in Mount Pleasant last week, and they're hoping anyone with information about the incident comes forward.

Officers were called to the coFood Collaborative Garden Project at East 4th Avenue and Scotia Street last Thursday after the gardeners found several homemade traps that appeared to be aimed at injuring people.

In a post on social media about the traps, the gardeners said someone hung fish hooks from trees and signs at eye level, strung trip wires across paths and placed a board with nails pointing upward near the trip wire.

Police confirmed that officers who visited the garden observed the same traps described in the post.

"Our coFood Collaborative Garden plays a role as a safe community gathering place, preventing social isolation and the spread of COVID," wrote garden representative Jenny van Enckevort in a statement to CBC News. 

"People from infants to seniors, and from all walks of life gather in this beautiful space, so keeping our neighbourhood safe is important to us," van Enckevort said.

The group has been distributing safety guidelines since the incident, including to avoid being in the garden alone at night and being careful while walking in the garden. If anyone see a person acting suspiciously in the garden, don't attempt to stop them or approach — call 911 from a safe distance, they advise.

"We are obviously hoping this was an isolated incident," said van Enckevort.

Const. Tania Visintin told CBC News that officers canvassed the neighbourhood searching for witnesses and video footage, but haven't identified a suspect.

"As of now there isn't much officers can do as there is no evidence leading to a witness," said Visintin. "If anyone has information, or sees anything or anyone suspicious in the garden in the future, we are urging them to call us."