The operators of a pair of community gardens in downtown Kelowna, B.C., are exasperated with theft and vandalism ruining what are supposed to be peaceful spaces for residents and a charity.
Paul Zuurbier, the executive director of Project Literacy, said around 3 a.m. on Sunday, their security cameras captured a person pulling numerous flowers from the plot outside their facility.
“We do have some challenges with people taking things,” he said, “but this is the first time that we saw a really premeditated effort to just pilfer the garden for the flowers that are available.”
Zuurbier said he built the flower bed in his garage and they wanted to plant them outside of Project Literacy to create a positive vibe for visitors.
“We wanted people to see that even before they come in the door,” he added.
Staff at both this garden and the community plot on St. Paul Street say acts of theft, vandalism and leaving garbage with the plants are far too common.
“We had a lot of problems with drugs, paraphernalia,” Georgiann Kasdorf, the St. Paul Garden coordinator told Global News.
“Mostly it’s taking the produce that’s upsetting to gardeners. They work hard to grow these things to feed their families and it’s upsetting when it gets taken.”
Project Literacy did not report this incident to RCMP and said they felt the amount of stolen goods was quite low.
However, RCMP said all petty crimes should be reported, no matter how insignificant they may seem.
“People should report all crimes to police through our online reporting system, even if it is insignificant,” Sgt. Laura Pollock with Kelowna RCMP told Global News.
“Those files are reviewed by our watch support officers who may be able to link them to more significant crime in the city.”