Clint Hawes points at moderator Veronica Vinge as he takes issue with forum rules the limit audience questions to 30 seconds and don’t allow lengthy statements. (Screen capture from video by Richard McGuire photo)

When Clint Hawes came to the mic at last week’s all-candidates forum at the Sonora Centre to ask a question about crime, he was hot under the collar.

First he picked a fight with moderator Veronica Vinge, executive director of the South Okanagan Chamber of Commerce over the forum rules.

In order to hear questions from as many members of the audience as possible, with nine candidates at the front, the organizers and candidates agreed on strict time limits for questions and answers.

Hawes didn’t like the rule that said questions were limited to 30 seconds and should be questions rather than lengthy statements.

“We’re the ones that put these people into office,” he said. “We should have the time to have what we want to say said because they’re getting the time to say it.”

Then he got to the heart of the matter.

“I sleep with a baseball bat by my bedside,” he said. “My neighbour sleeps with a gun by his bed. I have another friend who sleeps with a machete. I have another who has a carved out piece of two-by-four. All of them are doing this because of one of two reasons or maybe both – one fear, number two, they’re just fed up.”

“I’m sensing sir you have a question,” said Vinge, urging him to get to the point.

“I have a question,” Hawes replied. “You wait your turn, all right.”

“Actually my role is to facilitate this conversation and we need your question,” Vinge replied.

Hawes continued his speech for close to two minutes in total.

He pointed out that since the town population surpassed 5,000, the town now pays 70 per cent of policing costs instead of 30 per cent previously.

“We’re not getting the bang for our buck,” he said. “I want to know what you’re going to do about policing. The past council has had these years to do something about it and nothing’s been done.”

At this point, Vinge turned to the candidates.

Sherani Theophilus was first to answer.

“I would like to see policing between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m.,” she said, noting that she had to make a call in those hours, but couldn’t get help because the officer was in Keremeos.

Jim King, an incumbent councillor, was next.

“I don’t know if I’d want to live in your neighbourhood,” he said. “It sounds a little scary to me.”

He explained that the increase in policing costs doesn’t pay for additional policing – it only pays for the status quo.

“I support what the RCMP do,” said King. “I would not want to be an RCMP officer. I believe they’re doing the best with the resources they have.”

Sy Murseli claimed that “a half a million” that Destination Osoyoos (DO) receives “for brochures” should be reallocated to policing. DO is funded through hotel taxes and policing isn’t eligible for those funds.

Brian Harvey said policing is a thankless job. It’s the nature of policing in small B.C. towns to have an RCMP contract rather than a municipal police force, he said.

“I can’t see Osoyoos ever going to a municipal police force,” he added.

Kenny Music suggested more community engagement in watching for crime.

Myers Bennett said the problem isn’t with the police, but rather the courts, which let offenders out too soon.

“Why are those guys not in jail?” he asked. “Why are they running around our streets, scaring people? Police put them in jail and they’re back out the next week.”

The biggest audience applause went to incumbent councillor C.J. Rhodes, who took issue with the idea that Osoyoos is unsafe.

“It would be absolutely naïve for anyone to think that we do not have a crime problem in our community,” said Rhodes, winding up for one of his trademarked rants. “I’d like to make a statement that I love this town. I love all of the residents in it. And every day I feel safe and secure in absolutely everything I do. It is inconceivable to me to hear that there are people in this community that have guns and machetes and two-by-fours beside their beds. I don’t feel that way, I have never felt this way and I don’t think I ever will… We’re not crime-ridden. This is a great place to live.”

Shelley McIntyre tried to be empathetic.

“First and foremost sir, I’m so sorry you don’t feel safe in your own community,” she said. “That should not be…”

At a recent crime meeting, she said she spoke to police and was told the town is slotted to get more officers, but there is currently a shortage of police available.

Last to speak was incumbent Mayor Sue McKortoff.

“We do have some prolific offenders definitely,” she said. “When they happen to be caught – and there’s four of them the police know – the crime rate goes down dramatically.”

She then offered some suggestions from police. Lock doors, windows and vehicles. Put valuables out of sight. Record serial numbers of items like quads or bikes because police often don’t know who to return recovered items to.

Report suspicious activities because police look for patterns. Work with neighbours to form a Neighbourhood Watch, she added.

“I think you’ll probably find that you feel safer and they all know what you’re doing and they know when something is out of sorts to call you,” she added. “I think that’s a really important thing for us to do.”

A video of the entire two-hour candidates forum, as well as shorter videos on specific topics, can be seen at this location.

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times