Kelowna RCMP has responded to allegations from lawyer Stanley Tessmer of "lazy" police work over the investigation into stolen items.

On Jan. 7, 2025, mountaineering gear and a GPS device worth a combined $4,000 was stolen from a vehicle in Kelowna.

Tessmer alleges his friend reported the theft to RCMP, including the fact that he could track exactly where the GPS was — at the tent city on the rail trail.

The police, however, dispute that.

Kelowna RCMP spokesperson Ryan Watters said Friday that "at no time was it suggested that the GPS device could be remotely activated or tracked."

The RCMP acknowledged receiving a call from the property owner on Feb. 3, 2025, but the lead investigator was on days off and not available.

"It is standard practice for the lead investigator to maintain conduct of a file unless there is an urgent need to transfer it, temporarily, to another officer for public safety reasons or it is transferred to another unit, permanently, for investigative reasons. In this case, no indication of urgency was made and the call was not forwarded to the on-duty watch," Watters said.

The following day, Watters says the RCMP received another message, this time from Stanley Tessmer on behalf of his friend, but that didn't work either.

"The message was left with an officer who was also away. Prior to the return of the investigator for their next scheduled shift, the Kelowna RCMP learned of the actions taken by the property owner and his friend through media reports," says Watters.

Watters says statements by Tessmer that the police had taken no action or that the tent city is a "no-go" zone for police are not accurate.

“I would like to emphasize that the Kelowna RCMP detachment is committed to diligent and thorough policing. Our officers work tirelessly every day to uphold public safety and maintain trust within our community," said Insp. Chris Goebel, acting officer in charge of the Kelowna RCMP, in a statement.

"Any suggestion that they are not fulfilling their duties is simply untrue.”

In regards to the stolen equipment, Goebel said "additional avenues for investigation have been identified" and "the investigation remains open and is being actively followed up by our Community Safety Unit.”