Saanich police nab campers on shoplifting

Saanich police say plainclothes officers working at the Regina Park encampment have helped to arrest nine people for shoplifting in recent days.

Eight of those arrested are known to be from the camp, located near the Uptown shopping centre.

Officers were assigned on Wednesday and Thursday after police heard about many thefts from businesses in the vicinity of the camp, which began in early May as a protest against a lack of affordable housing. About 85 people have been staying there in tents and other shelters.

Items recovered during the twoday plainclothes effort include electronics, clothing, sunglasses, batteries and chocolate bars. Arrests were also made for having an outstanding warrant, breaching court conditions, mischief and resisting arrest.

Saanich police Sgt. Jereme Leslie urged people to let the department know about problems associated with the camp.

“We understand that some people and businesses are still not contacting police about criminal activity or suspicious activity,” he said. “This could be for a variety of reasons; however, one thing that we’re hearing repeatedly is that they don’t want to bother the police, or what can the police do about it, anyway.”

Police are eager to help, Leslie said.

“We want people to know that we’re here to keep them safe, prevent crime from happening and solve crime,” he said. “If we don’t know about issues that are happening, then it’s difficult to allocate our officers appropriately.”

Police will continue with strategies such as using plainclothes officers, as well as conducting regular patrols around the camp area.

Leslie said officers have been distributing copies of an order from the municipality letting campers know that they can spend the night in the park, but have to leave by 9 a.m. A similar notice issued June 8 failed to get people to move.

“We’ve been asked by the district simply just to deliver the notice to cease occupation of Regina Park,” Leslie said. “We’re going tent to tent delivering the notice.”

Saanich Mayor Richard Atwell said that if people don’t move from the camp the municipality would do something else, but he did not have a timeline.

“We’ve thought this through and we’re hoping the people comply with it,” he said. “But we can’t wait forever because it’s an intolerable situation for the neighbourhood and it’s an increasingly expensive situation for the community.”

“We’re trying to help the neighbourhood, we’re trying to help those in the park. Those that are committing crimes are being arrested.”

Atwell said the hope is that the steps taken will help prevent another camp from emerging next summer.

Meanwhile, the City of Nanaimo will be in B.C. Supreme Court on Tuesday and Wednesday for a hearing into its injunction application to disband the tent city there.

Nanaimo’s tent city was set up in mid-May and has grown to more than 150 structures.