The police caught nine people this week in stolen vehicles. Nine. In a 17-hour period.
It’s just another example of the rash of property crimes that seem to be infecting our city.
There’s no question it’s a problem. Recently released crime statistics from Stats Canada show Quesnel’s crime rate is four times the national average. Now that’s all crime, not just property crime, but regardless, there’s something going on here.
What are we going to do about it?
I’ll tell you what we aren’t going to do.
We aren’t going to take matters into our own hands.
Are there too many break-ins and thefts happening? Most definitely. Is the court system too lenient on offenders? Maybe. But is catching criminals your job?
Unless you are a member of the RCMP – no, it’s not.
We may not like what’s going on, but an increasing vigilante sentiment is creeping into conversations in Quesnel, and it’s frightening. Too many times we’ve heard people muttering comments to the tune of, “If those thieves come near my house, they’re not going to know what hit them…” And there have definitely been more threatening utterances made in the comments section of the Observer’s website and on social media platforms.
Now, maybe these folks are just venting. We’re all worried to some degree that our home, vehicle or garage will be targeted. But it has to be said: vigilantism is not the way. Just because the courts seem lenient on thieves stealing property under $5,000 doesn’t mean they’re going to be lenient on someone committing assault. It’s doubtful a judge will consider a homeowner chasing down a thief with a baseball bat an act of self defence. And you can’t protect your home from a jail cell.
So what can we do?
We can call the police anytime there’s suspicious behaviour in the neighbourhood. We can watch our neighbours’ homes as closely as we watch our own, and implement Neighbourhood Watch programs. We can keep our expensive belongings out of sight. We can lock our doors. Yes! We can lock our doors! This may once have been a place where locals felt safe leaving their homes and vehicles unlocked, but these days, it’s worth protecting your belongings instead of holding on to the good old days.
These measures won’t eliminate the problem, no. But the problem is not yours to solve, no matter how close to home it hits.
Leave that to the RCMP and local politicians. It’s not going to happen immediately, but it’s most definitely on their radar.
Quesnel Cariboo Observer