The RCMP in Alberta are making an unusual request of parents in Spruce Grove and Stony Plain, asking them to better monitor their children in the wake of a wave of vandalism in the two communities.
In an open letter to the residents of the two Edmonton-area communities, Cpl. Colette Zazulak said that, since school has let out, police have responded to more than 30 incidents of vandalism and property damage.
Zazulak said these incidents include tipped-over mailboxes, wrecked playground equipment, small fires, and spray painting.
"These types of instances not only ruin our community, they also tie up police resources that could be better utilized dealing with actual emergency situations," she said, adding that police have arrested several youth in relations to the small fires and mailbox damage.
She noted that the vast majority of the incidents have occurred in the early morning hours, "leaving many to wonder why these young people are roaming our streets throughout the night."
"While summer holidays means more freedom and a break from the routine associated with school, this should translate to evening Slurpee runs and dips in the pool to cool off, not committing criminal acts on public or private property," she said.
In Spruce Grove's Jubilee Park, a portable toilet was torched overnight on Tuesday. Also, vandals set fire to a playground slide, prompting park officials to board it up.
Parents and guardians at the park said they were unhappy to see the equipment damaged.
"I think it's sad that someone didn't have respect for the park, and now the kids have less to play on," Spruce Grove resident Cheryl Hicks told CTV Edmonton. "It's going to cost quite a bit to fix it."
Three 18-year-olds and one 17-year-old face arson charges, and police are confident more arrests will be made.
RCMP Insp. Gary Graham said police will use extra patrols to end the summer vandalism spree.
"This week we are setting up a small presence of police officers … that will be dedicated specifically to monitoring activities, and hoping to either deter or pick up some people who are committing these offences," he said.
Meanwhile, in the RCMP open letter, Zazulak said parents and guardians need to do more to ensure their children aren't committing criminal acts.
"The community plays a pivotal role in crime prevention; in this instance, specifically by ensuring that youth are supervised and held accountable for their whereabouts and behaviors. This may include calling their children’s friends' parents, to ensure that they are where they promised to be," she said in the letter.
"Having once been young ourselves, and being parents, we realize that sometimes, just sometimes, kids may not be entirely truthful with their parents. The onus is on parents to monitor their activities, not police."
She noted that officers understand that the vandalism is likely being perpetrated by a handful of individuals among the thousands of youth in Spruce Grove and Stony Plain. "Let's work together to be a village and raise these children in in a safe and productive community," she said.
With a report by CTV Edmonton's Amanda Anderson
