The community of McLeese Lake is keen to set up a rural crime watch program, said Steve Forseth, Cariboo Regional District Area D Director.
“They’ve asked me if I could get the RCMP out to McLeese Lake because there was a rash of break-ins,” Forseth said, noting he will be hosting a community meeting on Wednesday, June 27 at 7 p.m at the McLeese Lake Recreation Centre. “I was asked a few months ago, but sometimes it takes time to organize these things.”
Forseth has invited Insp. Jeff Pelley, Officer in Charge of the Williams Lake RCMP, to discuss the crime wave at McLeese Lake and how the community can get a program going, he added.
Last weekend the McLeese Lake Volunteer Fire Dept. discovered gas had been siphoned from two of its pumper trucks when it responded to an MVI-caused fire on Highway 97 and had to leave one of the trucks behind because it wouldn’t start.
Fire Chief Ian Hicks said surveillance cameras will have to be installed.
Read more: Siphoned gas leaves McLeese Lake fire dept. one truck short
In April, Crimestoppers put out a call for the public’s assistance for information about thefts from homes near McLeese Lake along the Gibraltar Road.
A Honda water pump, a personal red and white bombardier water craft and multiple other valuable items were stolen.
Read More: Williams Lake RCMP investigate thefts from homes and a hit and run