As RCMP staffing levels in Oliver are being scrutinized, residents are encouraged to take some responsibility in preventing thefts and break-ins in their neighbourhoods.
Community leaders met last week to brainstorm solutions to the recent spike in break-and-enters and thefts in Oliver.
At the November 10 meeting, Mayor Ron Hovanes, Area C director Terry Schafer, MLA Linda Larson and Sgt. Blaine Gervais of the RCMP talked about ways to reduce the number of theft-related calls to the RCMP and the possibility of getting more officers in Oliver.
“As local politicians we agreed that the RCMP are short staffed in relation to the recent [spike in crime], but understand they’re doing the best they can under the circumstances,” Schafer wrote in an email.
Hovanes agreed. He said “the RCMP are doing their very best” to deal with all the calls coming their way, but with some types of crime up “60, 70 per cent higher” than last year, it’s a tall task.
Hovanes said he recognizes that the RCMP needs more help, and said he is prepared to lobby the provincial government to get it.
Larson said she also believes the solution is more RCMP members. She plans to take the issue to Victoria and “talk to the minister about the need for more support.”
Of course, both admitted that getting help can be tricky.
Oliver has no control over RCMP staffing levels, and in order to get additional officers assigned here the local detachment has to prove its need. It does that based on the number of calls it gets and files officers are currently working on.
Gervais explained the local detachment can get another member “based upon the calls for service in the rural area alone.” The RCMP has to identify when most service calls occur, where they occur and what time of day they are occurring at.
In light of that, Schafer asked Oliver residents to report any act of theft or vandalism they see, no matter how minor.
“Although a lot of folks feel it’s not worth reporting some minor thefts or vandalism, please do. We need to have those stats to more effectively make a case at the higher levels of government for better service,” he said.
Gervais said collecting the relevant information to make Oliver’s case “may take some time using an analyst from Penticton.”
In the meantime, he is looking at “how to more effectively manage resources for calls for service.”
With the RCMP working as hard as they can, Hovanes, Schafer and Larson said Oliver residents need to make sure they are doing what they can not to entice thieves.
“Some residents have already taken it upon themselves to install surveillance cameras and, indeed, the cost has gone down significantly on home units, making them affordable for many. Another measure that appears to work is to simply get to know your neighbours and to keep an eye out on each other’s property. There are the old things like not keeping change visible in your car and putting easily ‘fenced’ items out of sight,” Schafer wrote.
Educating the public is “huge,” Larson said. Residents tend to leave their stuff unsecured and must be a little smarter taking care of their possessions, she noted. For example, an unsecured trailer full of valuable equipment is an open invitation to thieves.
Hovanes explained that most thefts are just unattended property. In a rural farming area like Oliver people might not always be thinking about locking up their stuff and keeping it out of sight, but doing that is becoming more and more important.
“We have been slammed with activity. And we have to do a better job of not being such easy pickings. We have to look out for each other better,” he said.
He pointed to a rash of vehicle break-ins over the summer as an example. In all of the incidents, he said, the thieves didn’t actually break into any of the cars, they simply opened the unlocked doors.
He urged people to be crime aware, to keep in touch with their neighbours and look out for themselves and each other. In the meantime, he wants Oliver residents to know he and his colleagues are aware of the issue and working on it.
“We’re doing our very best to support the officers that have their boots on the ground and trying to make a safer community. And if there’s any way that by lobbying the provincial government or the federal government by asking for more resources, if that’s going to help, we’ll be doing that.”
By Trevor Nichols
