A rash of thefts from vehicles and general mischief took place in the downtown residential area of Keremeos.
“There was a group of several youths who were up to no good late Sunday night, early Monday morning” reported Keremeos Detachment Commander Corporal Trudeau.
Police received several calls Monday morning reporting that their vehicles had been rifled through overnight.
A group of youths were hanging around the downtown residential area between Seventh and Eleventh Avenues, from the 400 to the 900 block.
They went through people’s yards and rifled through vehicles, stealing what they could find from glove boxes. They also set fire to two newspaper boxes and one resident actually caught a few kids jumping on their trampoline in the back yard.
“It does not appear that any vehicles were damaged, as everyone who reported the thefts also said they had left their vehicles unlocked” reported Trudeau.
“These are often crimes of opportunity and a lot can be done to help prevent them, like ensuring your doors are locked and perhaps installing motion lights. People often feel their neighborhoods are safe and secure enough to leave their vehicle doors unlocked, but it is often the deciding factor whether someone with bad intentions will actually search your vehicle or move on to seek another,” Trudeau cautioned village residents.
Trudeau also encouraged people to keep an eye out for suspicious persons or activity in their neighborhood and report it to police immediately.
“We can’t be everywhere at the same time and we all need to look after one another,” he said.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Keremeos RCMP at 250-499-5511, or Crime Stoppers at: 1-800-222-TIPS