Vernon votes: Council candidates discuss crime and how to reduce it

Castanet asked all candidates in Vernon's municipal election for their thoughts on five local topics. Today, they talk about crime and how to reduce it.

We've separated comments from council and mayoral candidates. Note that not all candidates responded.

ROSS HAWSE: I’m tired of having my hard-earned property stolen and vandalized; I’m tired of being told there is not much the RCMP can do; I’m tired of being told "that’s Vernon," because simply put – that's not my Vernon, and it shouldn't be yours.

Every day, there is a new post about someone having their bike stolen, or a business is broken into, or someone had their kid's wagon stolen out of their backyard. It has to stop. I know the solution isn't simple, it's complex.

Housing, mental health, support services, all of that. But let's get the prolific offenders off the street. Let's review the federal bail program and let's make it safe for me lock a bike in front of a restaurant or business in downtown Vernon and not fear it will be stolen while I'm inside.

STEPHANIE HENDY: Crime is a response to a lack of personal needs being met, whether that's inaccessible housing, inaccessible mental health support, or lack of social support.

I would like to subsidize/review the Downtown Ambassadors program, as a city staff person told me recently they had very few applicants this year. I would also like to take a poll to learn if a SafeWalk program would be desired.

I would like to partner with our MLA to review how we can increase funding for Interior Health positions so that our Cammy Lafleur clinic and supervised consumption site can be open more than 2-3 hours in the afternoon on weekdays.

AKBAL MUND: Crime is something very difficult for local elected officials to control.

Federal and provincial governments need to do more. Catch and release does not work.

ED STRANKS: I support increased bylaw enforcement and patrols.

Funding for RCMP is a good part of the city's annual budget, and while it is important to have enough RCMP in our community, bylaw staff provide for an alternative to deal with many issues, thus freeing up the RCMP to deal with crime.

DAWN TUCKER: I fully support investing in our RCMP and community support services, and in promoting increased use of our parks and downtown areas across many hours every day to ensure our city is a safer place for all to enjoy.

I will encourage residents and businesses to connect with the Community Safety Coordinator to join or form BlockWatches, report crime, install deterrents such as cameras, and follow tips provided by agencies like CrimeStoppers to increase their personal safety.

PATRICK VANCE: We need to address the need for safety on our streets – not just for businesses and homed residents, but also for marginalized people whose disadvantaged position in society makes them easier targets for criminal activity, resulting in theft and addiction.

Crime is sometimes the product of malice, and sometimes the product of desperation. Our job is to judiciously apply criteria to decide whether the answer to criminal behaviour is increased care or heavier enforcement.

I feel many people engaging in criminal activity simply do not believe in themselves anymore, and with a total loss of faith in oneself it takes community and care to perform a CPR of sorts on their human spirit. It will take a shift in attitude to believe it's more important to assign hope than blame.

TERESA DURNING: We had an increase in policing a few years back, and there are often staffing shortage issues for various reasons. This is a continual issue for many organizations, and the RCMP is no different.

I do believe the leadership and programming that is currently happening is productive and generating good results. City bylaw staff also work very hard. I do often wonder about their staffed hours being primarily daytime or until 11 p.m. and am unsure why that is, with many of the offences that they might be required at taking place during the night.

I will ask those questions should I be re-elected. I feel crime prevention needs to be both a municipal and community effort. Improved programming might be an option, including neighbourhood watch, prevention education and workshops to assist businesses and citizens from becoming targets. Community policing is a resource that we might be able to work with to assist in bolstering community education.

KELLY FEHR: Community safety must be addressed through adequate funding and advocacy for RCMP, bylaw enforcement, mental health and substance use services.

Throughout the 2018-2022 council term, Vernon has experienced a significant decline in crimes and bylaw infractions committed by people identified by law enforcement as "street entrenched."

We have increased the number of RCMP and bylaw positions. Both the RCMP and bylaw departments have created collaborative initiatives aimed at reducing overdose deaths and moving people into housing. I will continue supporting cooperative efforts and investing in community safety initiatives.

KARI GARES: Crime is a federal jurisdiction whereby local governments manage/set the budget to ensure there is adequate enforcement through our local RCMP. Our role is to ensure that we are funding enough resources to manage issues quickly and expediently.

With the province now bringing forth recommendations to deal with prolific offenders, which has been, by far, the biggest issue, we may see changes to the "catch and release" mentality that is often attributed to petty crime. We have invested significant resources in both RCMP and bylaw services and we have implemented many initiatives from the Safety Task Force to ensure that both our residents and businesses are protected.

We also understand that mental health, including those who suffer from substance abuse disorders, is also an issue that many in the downtown core are facing. We are advocating for upper levels of government to put sufficient funding in both health care and mental health so that treatment services and housing of the hard to house are a top priority.

BRIAN GUY: Data compiled by Vernon RCMP show that calls for service have declined since 2021.

Vernon’s leadership in providing supportive housing and contributing to substance abuse programs has been effective at reducing crime.

On council, I will advocate for evidence-based efforts to continue making our community safer and an even better place to live.

Mayoral candidates' responses appear below.

VICTOR CUMMING: Our citizens continue to be able to comfortably walk around town and ride public transportation – safety is an important issue the city is proactively addressing. The combination of prevention, presence and quick follow-up capacity is critical.

There has been tremendous success in providing housing for those experiencing homelessness. Bylaw files in the downtown have fallen 58 per cent and 33 per cent in our parks from 2018 to 2021.

Continued increase in housing for those experiencing homelessness (52 more units to open in October 2022) is critical as it provides a home, security, a place to be away from potential trouble, and stability to address other personal and financial challenges. There is no question that prolific offenders are a huge problem in Vernon and all communities. The city must continue the strong lobbying of the provincial government, with other municipalities to get the legal system to more effectively address prolific offenders.

The city needs to continue to gradually increase the number of RCMP members as the population of the community grows plus increase the number of bylaw officers to free up police to deal with criminal activity.

ERIK OLESEN: Crime has been an ongoing issue for years in our city. We have seen failed attempts with short-term solutions that continue to put our community at risk.

We continue to see businesses facing continuous break and enters, wondering where to turn and who can help. I have heard from residents that they fear going downtown or to areas of the city at night.

I will work with RCMP, businesses, and seek public input following these principles: government leadership, socio-economic development and inclusion, co-operation and partnerships, sustainability and accountability, knowledge based.

SCOTT ANDERSON: Much of this is outside municipal control, and the issue itself is highly complex. The part that is under the direct jurisdiction of the city is enforcement, and I have already made successful motions in council to include private security at night to disrupt criminal activity and report it to police.

But there are other ways to influence change at the provincial level, and I intend to use the mayoral platform to address them. Take for example the issue of prolific offenders, a small but significant part of the crime problem. There are a small number of highly motivated criminals in Vernon who commit petty crime every chance they get. We've all seen them on videos posted to social media, lurking around our backyards and opening our car doors at night. These are not "the homeless," but rather a fairly small number of housed/unhoused thieves who know how to play the legal game called catch and release.

Just one of the many social tragedies that result from this cycle is that law-abiding citizens get so fed up that they blame the nearest possible suspect, "the homeless." An entire socio-economic class gets the blame for the acts of a few people who should be locked up, and it's sad. The RCMP calls these habitual thieves "prolific offenders" but I say they shouldn't have a chance to be prolific.

The courts have to get tough with repeat offenders. We must use the mayor's chair to form alliances across the province, like the BC Urban Mayors Caucus, that amplify our collective voices. If enough municipal voices are heard, the province pays attention.