Lyonel Doherty

Times-Chronicle

You can’t really blame someone for stealing a loaf of bread to feed their family. It probably happens more times than we care to think about.

But the key here is how to prevent that desperate act from occurring. That’s what the new “Situation Table” in the South Okanagan is hoping to address.

The team, which has 16 participants, is getting ready to reach out to offer support to people in crisis. That could be anyone; even your neighbour. 

At first glance it may look like the Situation Table is another Emergency Support Services model, but it’s more than that. It helps people tackle the root of their problems, steering them away from the need to commit crimes to survive. In essence, giving them that hand up so they don’t need to steal that loaf of bread.

Kudos to the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Committee for “setting the table” for this to happen. 

It all harkens back to people like Michael Guthrie and Shirley Zelinski who organized one of the largest public meetings ever in Oliver to discuss crime prevention. 

Since that meeting a few years ago, things seemed to change, or in other words, the concerns and ideas didn’t just sit on the shelf and collect dust as was feared.

At least one problem house in Oliver was demolished, swept clear of shady characters and the alleged crimes they committed. No more visits from police and the fire department, saving time, money and resources.

New bylaws and fees were also created to hold property owners more accountable for abandoned buildings.

We highly encourage Oliver to follow other municipalities in establishing an online portal to report crime. We also like the idea of the Town setting up an online “button” to report incidents other than crime – some of those potholes in the community are downright brutal. 

We can’t help but chuckle to think that a few more of these potholes might slow down some of the speed demons in town. You know it’s a real problem when speed trumps property crime as the primary concern in the community.

What’s the hurry? Is it really going to make a difference if you get to your destination a couple of minutes faster?

This is Oliver we’re talking about, not Vancouver.

We must say that the recent threat made towards a Speed Watch volunteer was unconscionable. 

The volunteer was reportedly trying to address a safety issue in front of a school when he was allegedly threatened by a local motorist. 

What is this world coming to?