A growing number of residents in the South Okanagan have joined a social media group to share information about stolen property and suspected thieves, but local foresters say what they’re doing is wrong and could put their personal safety at risk .
In a news release Tuesday, RCMP in Penticton, British Columbia, said they were notified of discussions about Clean Streets Penticton — a private Facebook group started in April that now has more than 2,700 members — about how neighbors can reclaim stolen items without police intervention.
While police said they understand the frustration with property crime, they also stressed that legal procedures must be followed to lay criminal charges and discouraged people from interacting with suspects in an attempt to get their property back.
“Inciting violence can result in serious injury or other crimes, further straining our squad’s limited resources,” the statement said.
“We cannot justify vigilantism if we are to move towards lasting solutions [to property crimes].”
Clean Street Penticton is a private Facebook group where members share information about personal property theft in Penticton, BC and help each other recover stolen items without police involvement. (Clean Streets Penticton/Facebook)
“These are very good citizens”
Penticton has significantly high crime rates compared to other Okanagan cities. According to the latest provincial data, it recorded 186.5 Criminal Code offenses per 1,000 residents in 2020, significantly higher than Kelowna (114.1), West Kelowna (61.8), Vernon ( 129.9) and Osoyoos (83.6).
Last February, Penticton RCMP Supt. Brian Hunter said his force’s caseload was 170 criminal cases per officer in 2019, compared to the provincial average of 71.
Clean Streets Penticton administrator Jason Reinen says his group’s members are not vigilantes.
He says they are like-minded people who help each other keep their community safe by sharing photos, videos and other details of suspected thieves to track down stolen property without resorting to violence and escorting people to their stolen property , so they feel safe to restore it.
“These are fathers, wives, husbands … these are business owners,” he said. “These are very good citizens who pay taxes and do the right thing all the time.
Reinen, a CrossFit trainer and owner of an auto repair shop in downtown Penticton, says he’s lost $25,000 worth of stolen goods and damage to his property over the past five years.
He says the Facebook group’s membership has grown rapidly since a regional media outlet published a story about him on Sunday in which he said he was able to track down some of his personal property with the help of the group.
Last Wednesday, he said he found out who stole his bike and asked the thief to bring it to his shop for a cash reward.
“When we got to the end of the payment, I said, ‘Unfortunately, I’m not going to pay you for something I had already bought,'” he said.
“Obviously [he’s] I’m a little upset about it, but at the same time, I’m not about to be extorted for an item that I rightfully own,” he said, adding that there was ultimately no physical confrontation with the thief.
Concerns about violence
Group member Sharon Brown says crime is getting worse across the city. Last August, she was injured after a fight with two men who broke into her downtown ice cream shop and stole money from the register.
Brown says she joined the group to show her support because Penticton is no longer safe.
“I can’t blame the police — we only have so much,” she said on CBC’s Daybreak South. “This group is trying to do the right thing. They are not violent.”
Ice cream shop owner Sharon Brown, second from right, is surrounded by local firefighters who visited her with a pot of sunflowers after her shop was robbed last August. She joined the Clean Streets Penticton group because she believes the South Okanagan city is no longer safe. (Ogo’s Ice Cream & Food/Facebook)
But Desiree Surowski, co-founder of the Penticton and Area Overdose Prevention Society, says no matter how well-intentioned the Facebook group is, she fears some members may end up turning violent against thieves, some of whom may be people living with homelessness and addiction.
“They’re directing their anger at the wrong people,” Surowski said. “If you’re angry about a situation in your community, you need to direct that kind of anger or that passion to people who can do something to fix it.”
Reinen says he and other members of the group plan to meet with RCMP officials this week to discuss the repeat offenders and pledge to work with non-profit organizations that provide treatment for people living with addiction.
He says the group’s goal is not to create division, but to “make this city beautiful again.”
Daybreak South9:06 Ogo’s ice cream owner shares thoughts on vigilante group formed in Penticton
Sharon Brown, owner of Ogo’s Ice Cream in Penticton, shares her thoughts on a new vigilante group in Penticton. Penticton RCMP say a group of online vigilantes trying to recover stolen property are putting themselves and the community at risk. They call themselves Clean Streets Penticton.
Daybreak South13:52Homeless advocates in Pentiction are concerned about a Facebook group that wants to ‘take back the streets’
Desiree Surowski is co-founder of the Penticton Overdose Prevention Society. She shares her thoughts on a newly formed vigilante group in Penticton. Homeless advocates say they are worried about the possibility of clashes between people living on the streets and gang members trying to recover stolen property.
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