Mike Guthrie is leading the charge against an increase in crime in the South Okanagan town of Oliver.
“It’s a community wide problem that we in the community are struggling with,” Guthrie told Global News.
RCMP resources are low, according to Guthrie, because police resources have been lost to the corrections facility at the north end of town.
Guthrie has organized a crime forum for later this month.
He believes crime is out of control, but the mayor disagrees and said the crime rate in Oliver is the same as similar sized B.C. towns.
The mayor, Ron Hovanes, agrees there’s been a recent spike in crime but describes it as crimes of opportunity: unlocked cars and homes.
“We are affected by prolific offenders upon release and statistics show spikes from time to time,” Hovanes said.
Guthrie said he’s installed 11 surveillance cameras on his own property.
An additional two RCMP officers has been promised to the town when the provincial jail was built, but the RCMP have yet to provide those new resources.
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