FIGHTING FIRE Merritt firefighters and RCMP officers responded to a grass fire at around 9 p.m. on Tuesday night along Midday Valley Road. Onlookers Theresa Kennington and Stephen Hawkins reported the fire, which at one point had flames reaching across the road, they said. The fire was on a property near Tolko. Firefighters extinguished the fire shortly after arrival. Jade Swartzberg/Herald
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MERRITT HERALD FREE
THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012 • MERRITT NEWSPAPERS
New top cop works to improve safety By Phillip Woolgar THE HERALD
reporter@merrittherald.com
Last Wednesday between $10,000 and $15,000 worth of merchandise was stolen from The Source when someone accessed the local electronics store through the ceiling, probably from a neighbouring vacant storefront, said Merritt RCMP. Phillip Woolgar/Herald
Over $10,000 stolen from The Source By Phillip Woolgar THE HERALD
reporter@merrittherald.com
One or more burglars stole between $10,000 and $15,000 worth of merchandise from The Source electronic store last Wednesday, RCMP say. RCMP responded to an alarm triggered at about 11 p.m. but didn’t arrive in time to apprehend any suspects. “Police officers attended and found that entry into the busi-
ness was gained from the ceiling into the storage room,” Merritt RCMP Staff Sgt. Sheila White said, noting a neighbouring building was vacant and provided a way to enter the source. “A list of the items is being compiled.” She confirmed TV’s, cellphones and games are among the list of stolen items. The robbery was more sophisticated than others, as most are “smash and grabs,” she said.
The Kamloops Forensic Identification Sections arrived to examine the scene but details haven’t been released. RCMP is also investigating a break and enter into The Source in Kamloops the previous week to determine if there are similarities in the crimes. Anyone with information about this or any other crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or the Merritt RCMP at 250-378-4262.
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Six weeks into the job, the Merritt RCMP’s new top cop is getting familiar with the community and she’s starting to notice an over-abundance of drunkenness. Staff Sgt. Sheila White has worked for the RCMP for the last 26 years, and makes it her mission in each community she lives to determine what needs to be done to improve public safety. She’s caught on quickly to the drunkenness in the city’s downtown, the vandalism, domestic violence and the breakand-enters — which she said are the main local criminal activities. “Unfortunately, the public drunkenness is more of a social problem than a police problem, and it’s not going to be solved by police,” she said. “It would be a pipe dream if anyone thought
police could solve that problem.” She experienced the same problem while living in Smithers, B.C., her last town of residence where she served as the detachment commander. “[Drunks are] a revolving door for us,” she said. “We pick up the same people over and over and over again. We even have numerous examples of someone being picked up, say at noon for being drunk, they sober up in our cells, they are released, and quite often they are back in cells before midnight — that’s very frustrating.” She said police can’t address the issue themselves, but need a “co-ordinated effort with whatever agencies can be involved.” Since arriving in Merritt, she has also heard about the vandals, but said that has simmered down since the beginning of summer.
Domestic violence is also a major issue in Merritt, with drugs and alcohol often as precursors, she said. The number of breakand-enters, however, has surged in recent weeks. “I strive to make the community I’m living in that much better, and that much safer,” she said. “But in Merritt I’m still learning what the expectations are and the big one in here is safe homes.” White said she was surprised with the reaction of a few vocal individuals who complained about excessive police presence at the Great Canadian Bike Rally. Organizers of the rally slammed police during a public meeting at Merritt City Hall. Police argued with critics who claimed the RCMP turned away hundreds of people just for
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