When choosing to live in Oliver 45 years ago I was looking for a small friendly community in the dry Interior of BC.
Oliver seemed to fit the bill; it was like stepping back in time from what I was accustomed to. Many people didn’t lock their doors, even if they went away for weeks at a time.
Like anywhere there was always some criminal activity, but generally a feeling of security.
In the last few years that feeling has been going away. There seems to be a number of criminal groups operating with impunity, plundering commercial businesses, farmers, etc. No one is immune.
My turn came last week when I was assaulted confronting a crack head on my property at four in the morning. After a trip to the hospital and a number of days off work I realized the need to enhance my security efforts to protect family and property.
I am writing about my experience because many incidents I’ve heard about don’t end up in the media, leaving the general population unaware of how serious things are getting.
If these groups get bold enough, how long before we have home invasions?
Ray Levesque, Oliver
