Following an incident at the Williams Lake Walmart on May 14, the Mayor and City Council have written a letter to the Crown Counsel, urging the prosecution to keep an individual locked up.
The incident occurred with an individual, a known repeat offender to the Williams Lake community, who left Walmart with stolen property. When confronted by the store’s security, the individual allegedly drew a knife and threatened the security guard in the parking lot. Posing a threat to the store’s staff and patrons as well.
The letter says the individual fled in the direction of a seniors’ trailer park, initiating a lockdown by the RCMP and a search of the area.
Mayor Surinderpal Rathor says residents of the trailer park community “feared for their safety”.
He adds that the growing crime rate from repeat offenders is leaving residents, City Staff, and City Council feeling frustrated.
“We are concerned. Around 85 per cent of the crime are committed from those repeat offenders. Our concern to the government, to the crown, is that these people should be held responsible for their action. That’s all we are asking.”
The Mayor, in the letter, urges the Crown that it needs to do more when prosecuting repeat offenders, and that Williams Lake is seeing a major rise in criminal activity. As a major hub along multiple provincial and regional highways in the Cariboo Interior, Williams Lake has found itself a convenient spot for prolific offenders to come to “and repeat their lawful activities.”
“When you see those graphs, when these particular people are in custody, the crime graph goes down. When they’re in the community, the crime graph goes up,” says Rathor. “That is a major concern to us. That’s exactly why we are asking the provincial government and to the crown and to all the authoritative people— help us. We need help because we are at the mercy of the senior level of government in this situation here.”
The letter to Crown Counsel goes on to say the actions from prolific offenders is not only making the community fear for their safety, the actions have been damaging the City’s reputation and harming it’s ability to attract and retain business.
Mayor and City Council also “continues to press” the Crown Counsel to not release the individual of the Walmart incident back into the community. Mayor and Counci also asked that the use electronic and GPS monitoring on the individual, and on all other prolific offenders, be included in bail conditions. Saying that it would have “a positive effect” on the Williams Lake community and policing, adding that it is “essential” in ensuring the community’s safety.
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