OK Falls Vandalism

Residents in Okanagan Falls are concerned about the rise of vandalism.

According to the Keremeos Review, for the last month, residents have been reporting a group of young people terrorizing the community by stealing vehicles, destroying patio furniture, vandalizing property and throwing benches into the pond.

More alarming to residents than the action of the teenagers is the seeming lack of response they are getting from the RCMP. Some residents are saying they have called the Penticton RCMP several times in the last month but were told they were too busy to respond.

Until four years ago, there were eight RCMP officers assigned to the rural areas south of Penticton. But a deal absorbed those officers into the Penticton detachment, leaving OK Falls with no local police. The Penticton RCMP say they always respond when called, but how an incident is reported does have an effect on how fast they respond.

The RCMP say they can respond faster if a report says the kids are being aggressive, attacking property or drinking as opposed to reports of kids partying. They say while they may not be able to respond immediately, they will come when called.

It is believed the group of 20-30 teenagers causing all the concern are locals and residents want the parents to take more responsibility for their children. In the meantime, the RCMP suggests that residents should try to identify the instigators of the group without putting themselves in any danger.