Whitehorse police investigate rash of tire slashings

Whitehorse RCMP are urging residents to report any slashed tires to them, after a series of incidents this month in the city's downtown.

At least 20 vehicle tires were slashed over the Labour Day weekend, with at least one more incident last week.

Katherine Bunce says she was playing trivia at a local bar last Wednesday when her vehicle was targeted, in the parking lot. She discovered the problem when she attempted to drive home.

"I immediately felt like a pull on my tire, and I was like, 'oh no, I must have driven over a nail,'" Bunce said.

She pulled over and, sure enough, she had a flat.

"Then I looked around at my other tires, and I was like, 'oh my God, they're all flat!'"

It could have been a major expense for Bunce, if she hadn't turned to social media and found a Good Samaritan who helped set her up with some new tires.

"It was really heart-warming, it choked me up," she said.

Random mischief

RCMP say they're reviewing surveillance camera video from the bar's parking lot, to see if they can spot the person who vandalised Bunce's car.

They're also asking anybody else who's been targeted to come to them. Sgt. Ian Fraser says he's aware of several incidents that have been reported on social media, but not to police. 

"You never know, there might surveillance video in the area that's still available that we could attempt to review and see if that turns up anything for us," Fraser said.

He said tire slashings can sometimes be motivated by revenge, but a rash of similar incidents suggests random mischief instead.

"It's frustrating for everybody," he said.

"Other communities across Canada have had rashes of tire slashings. It's rare for Whitehorse."