Mounties condemn teens' attempts at 'vigilante justice' against homeless in Campbell River
Mounties in Campbell River took to Facebook Saturday to express their frustration with teenagers "seeking to incite members of the community's homeless population" in the city's downtown core.
In a statement posted on their page, Campbell River RCMP said they were called downtown Friday night to deal with teens, "predominantly in pickups," trying to start fights with homeless people.
"Police are not blind to the frustration that is being caused by the crime that accompanies homeless-addiction issues, but clearly this type of vigilante justice is not an effective way to deal with the community’s social ills and simply adds to them," police said in their statement.
Mounties said most of the teenagers – none of whom were of legal drinking age – were "highly intoxicated," adding that several people "were apprehended by police," and the investigation is ongoing.
“It truly was the saddest of situations: A group of privileged youth taking on some of our town's least privileged and hoping to provoke a street war," said Const. Maury Tyre, in the Facebook post.
"In recent weeks, similar events have occurred where jacked up pickups have chased and egged the homeless and thrown rocks. The property crimes that are committed due to addiction are an excessive problem, yes, and homeless camps in the downtown core do look dreadful. But attacking the homeless only encourages them to arm themselves and makes the situation infinitely more dangerous as the drug-induced paranoia can lead many to believe that any citizen passing by is out to get them. Quite frankly, our community is better than this, and these young people should be ashamed of their actions."
Anyone with information related to Friday night's incidents should call Campbell River RCMP at 250-286- 6221, police said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.