Penticton hotelier defends Mounties
RCMP in Penticton, who have been under constant criticism on social media and during the municipal election, now have a high-profile supporter.
Penticton Lakeside Resort general manager David Prystay, in an exclusive interview with The Okanagan Weekend, praises the work of police and Supt. Ted De Jager.
“Policing is a tough job and unless you have been on the front line dealing with the issues of today, you have no real idea what is going on,” said Prystay, a former Vancouver police officer.
“Mental health and social issues are the root cause for a large portion of the problems we see today. These are not police issues, but issues that need to be dealt with by the federal and provincial governments.”
At a city council meeting this week, Mayor John Vassilaki suggested the community doesn’t feel safe, further reminding the superintendent that the city pays the bills for policing.
Coun. Katie Robinson added, “As someone who’s lived here for 30 years, I can tell you it’s not as safe as it used to be.”
Posts on community websites have been mostly critical of RCMP.
Many of the candidates in the Oct. 20 election made crime reduction a spoke in their platform.
Prystay said he was disappointed with council’s reaction.
“Ted De Jager and his troops are doing a great job dealing with the issues that are more unique today than 10 or 20 years ago. I’m sure Ted is well aware the city pays for the RCMP presence in our city. Citizens need to be proactive. When you see crime or something suspicious, call the police. Keep your cars locked. Keep valuables out of sight.”
Prystay believes crime is down at the resort and nearby “because the casino is gone,” a reference to the recent departure of Gateway Casinos from the resort property.
The hotelier also said he’d welcome the hiring of additional police and firefighters in Penticton.
“The bylaw officers we have are great, but it’s not their responsibility to detain and arrest people causing trouble. They are a deterrent. Much of what’s being perceived as crime is actually just an inconvenience to the public. Homeless people are often not breaking the law, and when they are, there’s often mental illness and addictions issues that are involved.”