Photo: Dustin Godfrey

About 10 residents gathered outside Penticton's courthouse to protest what they call minimal sentencing on the South Okanagan's petty criminals.

The protest follows growing frustrations over a rise in property crimes in the Penticton area, with some putting at least partial blame on what they perceive to be a lack of discipline from the local judiciary.

"Repeat and prolific offenders are constantly being let out with minimum sentences," said organizer Mark Billesberger. "What we're trying to do is institute change in any way we can."

Billesberger has a few changes in mind that he believes could help curb Penticton's petty crime rates and minor thefts, starting with reducing the theft under $5,000 offence to theft under $2,000.

"I don't know about you, but a $5,000 hit for me would be huge. Imagine what it's like for a senior or a single parent," he said. "Basically, the way the law works now, is someone can steal your stuff, (and) as long as it's less than $5,000, they can walk away with a slap on the wrist."

Billesberger says an issue with repeat offenders is a lack of toughness on crime from local judges. While some have argued that jail time isn't the solution, Billesberger disagrees.

"I'd say they're wrong," he said. "I think actually making someone accountable is a deterrent to most people. Some people don't get the message."

That said, Billesberger points to another issue that he says needs to be addressed to fight theft: addictions.

"Don't just send them away for two weeks of rehab, because two weeks is not rehab. It's basically detox for a lot of these people," he said. "That would be a huge part of the answer and the solution would be to get help for these addicted people."

He adds that he believes the solution is a combination of getting tough on crime and showing support for those looking to get off of their addictions.

"I don't know how many of these people have been offered help and actually said, 'No,'" he said. "You can't do much for them. I'm a recovering alcoholic myself, so I know that you can't make somebody do that. You can't do it for someone else, you have to do it for yourself."

Billesberger says an apparent push to get tough on fentanyl pushers is an encouragement that something is being done on the issue.