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‘It’s like a war zone,’ recent break-in victim tells public safety committee

The youth crime wave in Thompson over the past few months is affecting people’s sense of security, a resident whose house was targeted during a spate of residential break-and-enters this week told the city’s public safety committee Oct. 10.
A Thompson RCMP truck idles on Cypress Crescent in the Juniper neighbourhood Sept. 28.
A Thompson RCMP truck idles on Cypress Crescent in the Juniper neighbourhood Sept. 28.

The youth crime wave in Thompson over the past few months is affecting people’s sense of security, a resident whose house was targeted during a spate of residential break-and-enters this week told the city’s public safety committee Oct. 10.

“This is not normal for a community to be like this,” said Aaron Compton. “I’ve got a little girl that’s afraid to sleep in her room. It’s like a war zone.”

Compton said the people responsible should be told to leave town or a curfew imposed to gain control over the situation. Anywhere else, he said, this would be considered a state of emergency.

Thompson RCMP Staff Sgt. Christopher Hastie said police are making extraordinary efforts to catch those responsible, pointing to the fact that RCMP recently got a court order allowing them to publish the name and photo of a 16-year-old suspect from Wabowden.

“It’s very rare to publicize and offender [who is] a young person,” he said. “We are catching some kids and charging them.”

Seven arrests were made after 11 break-and-enters or attempts were reported in Westwood and Deerwood Oct. 7-8. Five of those arrested were charged. One, who was only 10 years old, could not be, which Hastie admits is frustrating for police and for crime victims.

“Youth crime obviously remains an issue for us,” said Thompson RCMP detachment officer-in-charge Insp. Brian Edmonds, who later responded to a question from Coun. Duncan Wong about whether police are checking vacant houses by saying that they had found one that was being used by youth who may be involved in crime.

“One vacant house did surface during the incidents on Monday night and Tuesday morning that we’re aware of.” Edmonds said.

So far in 2019 there have been 153 more assaults and 17 more break-and-enters than in the first nine months of 2018.

Coun. Les Ellsworth said Thompson has 38 RCMP officers but seems to have enough crime to keep twice that number busy.

“There’s a lot of work out there to be done,” he said.

The mayor, councillors and city staff met with representatives from Manitoba Justice earlier Oct. 10 to discuss the $300,000 public safety strategy that the provincial government announced last spring would be forthcoming for Thompson.

“From what we heard, it has the minister’s attention,” said city manager Anthony McInnis, who has recently been in touch with former Thompson city manager Randy Patrick, now the chief administrative officer in North Battleford, Sask., about strategies they are using to combat similar programs. Asked if Patrick had said whether North Battleford was having similar problems with youth, McInnis said problems there tended to result from criminals heading to North Battleford to escape their troubles in smaller communities.

“He said most of his was actually related to gangs,” said Mcinnis. “The fallout’s the same.”

“We were clear that this [development of a public safety strategy] needed to happen right away,” said public safety committee chair Coun. Jeff Fountain. “This is one of our highest priorities.”

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