Like the saying, “It takes a whole community to raise a child,” it also takes a whole community to fight crime.

Curbing crime in Oliver is not just a police problem; it’s everyone’s dilemma.

But frankly, we’re getting tired of hearing the broken record regarding the lack of police resources in Oliver, and there’s not much we can do to change that fact unless we pitch tents on the legislature (and get arrested for vagrancy).

The other fact is many local businesses have done what they can to secure their premises with fencing, gates, cameras, dogs, watchmen, locks and so on. What more can they do? What more are they expected to do?

Town officials and local authorities say that residents have to be smarter in preventing thefts and vandalism. But people have been smarter in doing that, yet the thieving continues.

It’s now time for the Town of Oliver to do more, whether it be lighting, surveillance cameras, patrols or whatever it takes to make the community a safer place.

Industrial park businesses are fed up and rightfully so. Why should they have to spend thousands of dollars in security measures when thefts and vandalism go “unchecked?”
Not everyone wants an aggressive guard dog like John Hofman has, but he feels it’s necessary to protect his livelihood. Is this what we must do in a “safe” community? Surely, businesses that pay $10,000 a year in taxes deserve more than “top 10 tips” to prevent theft.

The Town has been diligent over the years lobbying for clean drinking water, better roads and other amenities. But now it’s time to lobby for more dollars to make this a safer place to live. How can council attract new business to town when crime is off the leash?

We desperately need more police officers, and a night shift to keep these criminals on the run (or in their drug houses until morning.

The foreboding fear is the new correctional centre will be an added drain to the RCMP’s already-stretched resources. So something will definitely have to be done before that becomes a new problem.

It’s understandable that residents have a certain responsibility to secure their belongings and not make it easy for thieves. But there comes a point when the powers that be take action. It’s a two-way street that businesses seem to be travelling alone.