The longtime Mayor of Oliver said he and residents of the community are becoming frustrated at Canada’s legal system as several prolific offenders continue to receive light sentences and quickly return to a life of crime.
At Thursday’s Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) meeting, each director was asked to submit subjects they would like to discuss with provincial ministers at this fall’s Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) conference.
The Town of Oliver recently hosted a Community Safety forum and the topic turned to prolific offenders.
“We have three or four of them (in Oliver) and they have been wreaking havocfor months on end” not only in Oliver, but across the South Okanagan, said Hovanes.
Members of the local RCMP detachment even commented on sentencing of some of the same prolific offenders and how the penalties they are getting aren’t serving as any kind of deterrent, said Hovanes.
“They got weekends … it’s the fourth time before the courts and they got sentenced to a couple of weekends,” he said.
Some of the sentencing for prolific offenders “is way on the lower end of things.”
“It’s almost a certainty going into court almost knowing what they’re going to receive. There’s really not much of a disincentive to stop doing this sort of stuff in our area in the South Okanagan," said Hovanes.
The average citizen with no criminal record can go through a border crossing and immediately be singled out and be subjected to body scan searches or having their vehicles ripped apart by border officials, but the repeat criminals are continually being given the benefit of the doubt by the court system, he said.
“If you do this crime, this is what you’re going to get,” he said. “I almost want to see that magic eight ball where you give it a spin … and say you’re not getting take out for the next five years.
“There should be a little bit of mystery going in there of what you’re going to receive.”
The RCMP have said repeatedly that prolific offenders are responsible for the large majority of crime and the time has come to discuss this with government officials, he said.
“They’re having a huge effect on the community,” he said.
Supt. Ted De Jager, the regional South Okanagan commander for the RCMP, said only 30 percent of police work leads to criminal convictions, said Hovanes.
Director Judy Sentes agreed with Hovanes that people are sick and tired of the courts treating prolific offenders with kid gloves.
Police put in all kinds of hard work dealing with and arresting these offenders, “and then it almost is a crapshoot when they get to court, if it goes that far,”, she said.
“I would sure like to see some notice of our dissatisfaction” to government officials, said Sentes. “It’s almost disrespectful to the law abiding citizen. You know they get their hands rapped or they get weekends. Where’s the detterent to people who are prolific and doing it again and again.”
Sentes said she would like to see some momentum about this issue generated at the municipal level before voicing their concerns to provincial officials at the UBCM.
“I think we’re all affected by it,” she said.
Director Andrew Jakubeit said he would like to gather some statistical information that proves the courts are coming down far too lightly on prolific offenders before confronting ministers and senior officials.
Director Helena Konanz said she would like to see an increase in the number of RCMP officers in the City of Penticton and across the RDOS.
“I just think we need to increase the provincial force,” said Konanz.
Director Michael Brydon said his biggest concern related to transportation issues.
There are numerous projects to increase public transit across the region, but those programs are expensive and aren’t going to solve the existing issues for many residents due to geography, he said.
“We’re getting cut off from the coast … and we need to make some noise about that,” he said.
Brydon said it’s incredible to him that ride-sharing companies like Uber aren’t offered in a busy
“I don’t know what’s going on in this province,” he said. “I don’t know why we don’t have ride sharing … it’s embarrassing.”
There are areas in places like West Bench in Peachland where taxis don’t offer affordable service and transit services aren’t available and won’t by any time soon, said Brydon.
“I would like to push Uber as an adjunct transit” option, he said.
Director Terry Schafer said the flooding issues that caused so much devastation and forced so many people out of their homes was discussed at the UBCM last year.
“It was all pleasant and polite”, but he’s going to be asking some tough questions and demanding some answers from provincial officials at this year’s conference, he said.
Director Frank Armitage said with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing that cannabis will become legal across Canada that talking about the ramifications of legalization on municipalities would be a very good idea at the UBCM..
Board chair Karla Kosakevich said she will update the list based on Thursday’s conversation and present it to the board at a later date.
The 2018 UBCM conference takes place Sept. 10-14 in Whistler.
