By Dale Boyd

Times-Chronicle

When writing up the quarterly crime stats last week it was notable to hear the officer in charge of the South Okanagan and his rural detachment commanders agree that the federal Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) has had an impact on crime, meaning property crimes have gone down in the latest numbers.  

While some local politicians seemed more concerned that the vulnerable population is receiving assistance they did not properly qualify for, what stuck out to me was the correlation between supporting the vulnerable and reducing crime. 

You may not like it when people do drugs, especially with taxpayer funds, but if it came down to it would you rather have your bike stolen? 

Humans and intoxication have been connected since our species starting walking upright, and “just say no” campaigns and the war on drugs were colossal administrative failures and arguably waste taxpayer money on ineffective advertising and educational campaigns. Just look into the ineffectiveness of the DARE program if you don’t believe me (also as a “graduate” I can testify personally that program did not work).

The real barrier is the section of the population who just cannot morally allow themselves to help others they feel are undeserving and the politicians who embody these attitudes. 

Regardless of those feelings, the evidence is there. Property crime numbers are down (almost) across the board in Penticton and the South Okanagan. While it is impossible to tell how much of that is due to people wandering less during the pandemic or the CERB, it is notable South Okanagan police themselves brought up the federal relief payment when talking about the reduction in property crime — specifically that those suffering from addictions did not need to resort to property crime to fund their habit. 

So I present two choices: continue to spout the same tough-on-crime rhetoric that even the police no longer support, or try something different for once.  Next time you get upset and your fingers rage across the keyboard saying property crime is out of control and people should face the firing squad for stealing, try to remember that method does not help anything. 

It may seem counter-intuitive to the morally superior, but supporting the vulnerable, the addicted and the homeless is likely the only humane way forward.  Would you rather have our taxes put to better use? Or continue to pay for our collective decisions through stolen bikes and cars? 

The choice is yours.