Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson has joined the City of Williams Lake in calling for stricter penalties for prolific offenders and is bringing the call to the Province.
Doerkson spoke before the BC Legislature, urging the need for action regarding chronic re-offenders.
“Communities in my riding of Cariboo-Chilcotin have in the past and are now experiencing gang activity violence similar to what has been witnessed in the Lower Mainland,” Doerkson says, “The local inspector in command of the Williams Lake RCMP detachment publicly confirmed this on May 31st.”
“On the quiet evening of May 31st in Williams Lake, it really hit close to home for our residents, when the sound of multiple gunshots were heard coming from a residence in the 1900 Block of South Lakeside Drive,” Doerkson says, “I credit members of the Williams Lake RCMP for quickly and safely bringing the situation under control and making five arrests, but the fact remains this is similar to events we have been hearing about in the Lower Mainland. As I mentioned earlier, the RCMP Detachment publicly confirmed on May 31st, this was likely related to gang activity.”
Doerkson cited other events around the riding.
“In 108 Mile, a robbery of a rural postal box has resulted in $100,000 in damage. The 100 Mile House post office now has to lock up at night because of multiple robbery attempts, and it’s not just post boxes. Very often when I look at social media I see people suggesting they have been robbed the evening before, or warnings for people to be alert as people have been seen peeking in cars or caught on cameras looking through peoples backyards.”
“Prolific offenders will have free reign until the Premier and this government take the situation seriously we have on the ground in the Williams Lake and the rest of Cariboo-Chilcotin seriously,” Doerkson says, “Clearly our justice system is not performing adequately if just a small number of criminals can put fear into an entire community.”