Delta police hosted a community dialogue Wednesday night in Tsawwassen with a focus on property crime, theft and general safety.
The meeting was called following commentary from within the Tsawwassen Loop Facebook group expressing policing concerns. DPD reached out to the group suggesting the idea of a community meeting.
“We are finding more and more that people just don’t call the Delta Police Department with their issues,” said Delta police Chief Neil Dubord. “They instead take to social media to air their concerns. What we are trying to do more is to monitor what is being said on those social media sites and respond to those concerns as best we can.”
Dubord told the small gathering of residents in the Tsawwassen Library meeting room that overall property crime is down in Tsawwassen this year.
“I will say that in the first part of 2018 specifically break-ins are up as compared to the first part of 2017 and 2016,” said Dubord. “It’s an interesting thing because property crime can be driven by literally two or three offenders in an area. What we find – certainly from theft from autos – one or two prolific offenders will go through 200 cars in an area at night. They will check door handles and if they get inside, they will take anything that they can.”
Dubord also pointed to a recent investigation that concluded at a home on English Bluff Road where frequent offenders were staying and committing crimes in the community.
He said the investigation, which included surveillance and undercover work, took seven months. In the end, arrests were made and 58 charges were recommended.
“We are currently monitoring four or five houses in Tsawwassen that have those kinds of offenders in them,” he said. “Often when you see crime going up in a community such as this it may seem that there is a whole bunch of crime happening, but it is a small number of people.
“Is the community any more dangerous than it has been? I don’t think it is any more dangerous than it has been, however, there have been some high-profile issues and certainly we continue to work through those issues.”
Residents posed other questions around police communications, traffic concerns along 56th Street and the perceived lack of visibility of officers in Tsawwassen.
“There is a lot of fear from what I hear in my neighbourhood and people not wanting to leave their house,” said one resident. “It’s just really changed. I’ve lived in my home for over 40 years.”
Dubord said staffing levels are consistent in every community from North Delta to South Delta.
Const. Leisa Schaefer, district liaison officer for the Tsawwassen Community Police Station, offered tips on home security and said residents can come by the community station to get more information and assistance.
As the meeting wrapped up, residents thanked the police for the open dialogue and said they looked forward to more sessions in the future.
