Vehicle theft in Salmon Arm

My truck was stolen in November, along with two or three others the police officer said are being stolen every day in the community.

For days, I wondered if they would find my truck and get it back to me. It was a old truck but I didn’t owe a cent on it and it was very reliable. I need it to get back and forth to work.

I messaged the officer a couple of times in the following weeks but got no response. In the meantime, a new truck was stolen from the Ford dealership in Kelowna. The RCMP posted photos and asked the public to help find it. Why? (Was it) because it’s was big business and the RCMP got a big complaint?

But here in Salmon Arm, where people of lower income are losing older Fords and Dodges because they are easily stolen nothing is being done about it.

One person had his truck stolen five times in a matter of weeks but the thieves couldn’t get it far enough away without it breaking down. It had some sort of electrical shut off and the owner had to get ICBC to pay for five ignition switches because of the damage the thieves did

With the number of vehicles stolen around Salmon Arm, you would think the RCMP would set up a task force. These thieves are costing us hundreds of thousands of dollars in our community alone, can you imagine how much it’s costing for the whole province? And who pays? We do. and who pays for the RCMP? We do.

We’re told the police can’t arrest anyone unless they are caught driving the stolen truck, even if their fingerprints are all over it and the truck is loaded with stolen items. The police don’t seem to care.

To pour salt in the wound, we have to argue with ICBC. No provincial government official has done anything about it.

Now Salmon Arm (city council) is going to raise our taxes 5.56%. I hope no portion of that is going towards a salary increase for RCMP officers. Something needs to be done about this issue Mayor Alan Harrison, because it is obvious that he is ignoring this situation.

Salmon Arm, like a many cities, is raising taxes while taxpayers struggle harder than ever and noo politicians are helping.

I won’t be voting for in the next city election.

Gerard Foley, Salmon Arm