Police in the West Shore area are warning residents to be cautious after a violent robbery in Langford that involved bear spray. The West Shore RCMP is investigating an incident that took place on Jan. 31, 2026, in the 700 block of Goldstream Avenue, near a Bank of Montreal branch.
Two women — a vulnerable woman and her caretaker, according to a witness — were sprayed with bear spray while getting into a car after attempting to deposit a cheque. The suspect approached the passenger side and sprayed the women, then grabbed a backpack and fled on foot. The robber is reported to have taken a cellphone, a wallet and the cheque. One woman was taken to hospital for treatment of respiratory distress after inhaling the spray.
The incident prompted public safety notices in early February. Local reporting and law-enforcement sources first publicized the case on Feb. 5, 2026, and West Shore RCMP issued an expanded community alert for neighbouring View Royal on Feb. 8 after the suspects remained at large. Because the West Shore RCMP serves both Langford and View Royal, officers have urged residents in both communities to exercise heightened vigilance at ATMs and transit hubs.
Langford council has recently endorsed a West Shore RCMP detachment expansion project and the city has in recent years approved adding officers to help address rising crime and capacity pressures at the detachment. Investigators are reviewing CCTV and conducting neighbourhood canvases as they work to identify the suspect(s).
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the West Shore RCMP. Media and public updates have been provided by West Shore RCMP and local news outlets (Victoria News), which reported on the Feb. 5 incident and related policing activity.
