An owner of a Salmon Arm family-run business wishes to see stricter enforcement measures in response to increasing incidents of theft and vandalism they and other businesses have been experiencing.
At its June 10 meeting, city council received a May 23 letter from Murray LaTosky of Salmon Arm Ready Mix (located on 13th Ave SW), a company that has been an employer in the community for more than 50 years, "literally building Salmon Arm to where it is today."
"However, I feel what we see in Salmon Arm today is not what we worked towards," wrote LaTosky, explaining he understands ongoing issues around the unhoused population and drug use, but feels measures being taken to address them are not working.
"Never has this town seen such degradation," wrote LaTosky, who goes on to say that over the last couple of years and, more recently, in the last two months, Salmon Arm Ready Mix has been vandalized, broken into and has had items stolen more than eight times, "5 of these most recently."
LaTosky said "not only is it disturbing having your private property compromised," there is also time and cost involved in "having to deal and combat further criminal activity."
LaTosky mentions being told by the RCMP that there has been "a lot of activity out our way," prompting him to question "where is the policing if it is such a problem?"
"Neighbouring businesses have also been targeted with major thefts taking place, of which we are all asking where are the police," wrote LaTosky. "I understand the police are working very hard and have extensive workloads but in this case the city needs to address the policing budget as well as what our priorities are.
"Why are these perpetrators released and allowed to continue this behaviour?"
LaTosky concludes his letter by calling for "stronger, sterner measures" being taken and enforced "with the element that are so openly and increasingly overtaking our little city."
Mayor Alan Harrison said he spoke with LaTosky and forwarded his letter to the Salmon Arm RCMP detachment's staff sergeant, "who said that certainly they would try to increase patrols there, particularly in the evening."
Coun. Kevin Flynn said the city has a full complement of RCMP right now "based on the budget that we've set."
"It’s not like we can just hire two more tomorrow, and it’s extremely costly and I do think our RCMP are doing as good a job as they can in the circumstance, but a little extra attention to this location would be great," said Flynn.
Harrison said LaTosky, though frustrated, was "not negative towards the RCMP," but was asking for more attention.
"I did say to him that his concern around stronger, sterner measures as far as enforcement and that kind of thing is actually provincial legislation, federal legislation, and that it’s not under the hands of the RCMP of course, and I directed him to where he could give input if he wished," said Harrison, later adding he'd been informed by LaTosky that new power tools now have built-in GPS.
"They’re being built like that so Mr. LaTosky has found several of his power tools in pawn shops in town because he’s been able to follow them there," said Harrison.
