Penticton crime complaints abound on social media; little interest in RCMP input sessions

PENTICTON – Penticton RCMP are holding their annual community policing forum tomorrow, but will anyone attend?

That’s a question that won’t be answered until tomorrow, May 14, when the meeting takes place at Penticton Lakeside Resort starting at 7 p.m.

The last two community forums haven’t been overwhelming in terms of attendance in spite of a lot of grousing on social media about policing in the Peach City.

A case in point is a recent petition on Change.org that claims property crime rates have risen in the city by “a whopping 280 per cent in one year from 2018 to 2019.”

“All you have to do is take a stroll down our local social media groups and the severity of the crime and break-ins becomes quite clear,” the petition’s preamble states. According to Change.org, almost 1,000 people have signed the petition.

Based on previous attendance numbers at the RCMP forums, it’s highly doubtful the 1,000 people who signed the petition will show up for tomorrow's meeting where citizens have an opportunity to be part of the local police planning process. Estimates of the number of those attending the last two forums in 2017 and 2018 were around 200 and 100, respectively.

The community policing forum will feature an open mike session, facilitated by pre-filled questions, with forms available at the door.

If time permits, there will be an open mike for those who have not submitted questions, Cpl. Chris Manseau said in a press release issued May 7. There will also be information booths on volunteer programs like Citizens on Patrol, Block Watch, Speed Watch and Lock Out Auto Crime.

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