Bob Mackin
Australian tourist Reuben Williams made it to Seattle on June 17 to continue his FIFA World Cup trip.
Just a day earlier, Williams feared his vacation was ruined, when his baggage was stolen from the lobby at Onni’s Level hotel in downtown Vancouver.
The founder of SportsGrad, a consultancy that helps train people for careers in the sports industry, reported the theft to the Vancouver Police Department and contacted the Australian consulate for help.
The consulate issued a temporary passport, but no assurance U.S. authorities would let him cross.
Williams spoke with theBreaker outside the PNE Amphitheatre at the FIFA Fan Festival, hoping to enjoy Australia’s June 19 match against the U.S. with his father and brother.
From 2021 to 2025, theft reports to the VPD grew from 9,097 to 13,317. During the same period, the property crime rate per 1,000 population went from 13.1% to 17.68%.
Later in the day, Williams successfully crossed the border to the U.S., en route to Seattle.
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