Two Squamish residents, Katy Gavrilchuk and David Gaspard, have written a letter about the issue of vandalism and theft in Garibaldi Provincial Park after their car’s window was smashed. They believe that BC Parks and the RCMP have not done enough to mitigate this issue, which has been increasing for the past 15 years. Both are concerned about the safety of Park users and believes that BC Parks and the RCMP have a responsibility to offer safe access to their facilities and recreational areas.
Below is the letter they sent to the local media:
“Last weekend, we parked a vehicle Friday night at the Garibaldi Provincial Park Rubble Creek trailhead and went back to Squamish to start the Neve traverse that night. We returned to our vehicle Sunday afternoon at the Rubble Creek trailhead to find that our car window was smashed. The inside of the car had been thoroughly searched and emptied of all our belongings. A RCMP contact card with a case number was sitting on the front seat. At least three other cars parked in the same parking lot suffered similar vandalism and theft. One of them had their window replaced a week prior after being victim of a similar event in the Duffey Lake area.
As we returned to pick up our friend’s vehicle at the Red Heather trailhead in Squamish, we realized that at least eight other cars had suffered the same fate. We heard from stories posted on Facebook ski touring groups that some people had their house keys and insurance papers stolen. The thieves had broken into their Vancouver home and stolen their belongings as well.
A quick Google search reveals that this issue has been ongoing and increasing for the past 15 years. Such stories have already been covered by several news media outlets in the past. More striking, neither BC Parks nor the RCMP seem to have done anything (or not enough) to mitigate this issue and keep the park users and society safe. It seems too easy for criminals to commit these acts and get away with it, over and over again. This can significantly affect BC’s tourism industry and put Park users at risk. I believe it is BC park’s responsibility, in conjunction with the RCMP, to offer safe access to their facilities and recreational areas.
It seems like these thefts are somewhat organized. Consistent points of vehicle entry, a thorough search of the vehicle (including spare tire and emergency kits) and using the information found in cars to conduct additional theft. Many passports have also been stolen, which would be useless to most petty criminals looking to make a quick profit. Passport theft is usually linked to more organized gangs that can use them for identity theft and other more serious crimes.
Don Heppner says
This has been on going for much longer than 15 years. Because the authority’s actions are inadequate, I heard a story about vigilante justice.