Community policing forum to be part of Kaleden open house

PENTICTON – A call for crowd forums by the Penticton RCMP is being heard across the detachment’s service area as police report requests for several forums, both in the city and in the region.

Detachment commander Supt. Ted De Jager says police hope to be able to come to those at work, or in care facilities, who can’t come to other organized forums to answer their questions and concerns and ensure police visibility is adequate.

De Jager says there are three or four forums scheduled with various groups around the city, and three community forums scheduled for Regional District Electoral Areas “D,” “I,” and “F.”

The Kaleden forum, arranged by Area "I" director Subrina Monteith, will be on Jan. 21 and will likely see RCMP officials discussing a recent rash of break and enters, and other criminal mischief in Kaleden.

Penticton RCMP media spokesperson Const. James Grandy says police are focussing on a Linden Avenue property in that area that is currently being rented to people known to police.

“Most of the recent stuff that’s been happening is due to those people who are, hopefully, temporarily in that particular residence. We are actively trying to address that issue,” Grandy says.

He says police have contacted the property owner, who is presently out of the country, to address the occupants “extraction.”

“I think that will address a lot of the issues occurring in the community right now,” he says, adding the police have spent quite a bit of time in the community the past few days.

De Jager says police still aren’t hearing about all the criminal activity taking place. He says people need to call in order for police to present complete statistics of the local crime picture. He says the stats also tell the detachment when to employ the resources of the Targeted Enforcement Unit.

“Nothing beats members of the public calling, forming block watches, and looking out for one another. That’s one of the reasons we have knowledge of this particular residence, from people watching out for their neighbours,” he says.


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Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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