There have been so many thefts from the West Kelowna Operations Yard on Elliott Road, that council has approved an emergency capital expense of 12 thousand dollaars to buy state of the art security cameras.
Stacey Harding is the West Kelowna Parks and Fleet Manager. He says the RCMP have been most cooperative but so far no solution to the thievery.
He says, "The Elliott yard is situated right in the town center area of West Kelowna and it happens to be where we have the main population of homlessness. Unfortunately, the yard is full of vehicles that present opportunites for theft and our yard has been a target."
Tool boxes smashed in trucks. Doors pried open. A couple of sheds got kicked in and new ones had to be purchased. Power tools and hand tools stolen, gas thefts plus the vandalism created an issue that West Kelowna had to do something about, thus the security cameras, complete with sirens and lights.
Harding says, "If we can't stop them or catch them in the act, maybe the new system will be a deterent."