More Law Presence At Skaha To Prevent Theft

It has been a bad year for theft at Alberta and B.C. climbing areas and as a result, Skaha will see increased patrols.

From the Rockies to Squamish, there have been dozens of reported break ins to climber’s cars and trailers. In extreme cases, motorbikes and trucks have been stolen.

Mostly smash and grabs, thieves have stolen tens of thousands of dollars worth of recreational related equipment, from harnesses and ropes to mountain bikes and kayaks.

Penticton’s media source, Info News, has reported Penticton RCMP and community policing volunteers have been making rounds at the Skaha parking lot. In many cases, they placed auto crime prevention notices on vehicles.

The B.C. Climbers Access Society has reported a number of thefts at the parking lot over the past two years. Some climbers have avoided the popular climbing area all together this years due to the threat of break ins.

“We’re also consulting with climbers and B.C. Parks in an attempt to find a solution together to the thefts up here,” RCMP Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth said.

“We’ve heard the concerns expressed here at the bluffs. We’ll be making regular patrols and educating people as to how they can protect themselves.”

Community policing member Nick Merluk said, “We’ve saved people a lot of money by reminding them of expired license plates, and reminding them to hide their valuables. We’re going to be conducting regular patrols of the bluffs.”

– For more on the Climbers Access Society of B.C., visit here.