Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog says the city needs senior governments to step up after a businessman trying to retrieve stolen property from a downtown encampment was shot Sunday afternoon.
The city is facing a public-safety crisis, he said in a statement issued Tuesday.
“Our city is not able to fix the underlying issues that have led to the problems we are facing and the kind of situation that unfolded here on Sunday,” he said. “When government is no longer able to protect people and their property, we are in a dangerous place.
“As a result, some people feel they have no option but to take matters into their own hands.”
The victim, Clint Smith, owner of auto repair shop Ernie’s Blackpoint Repair, remains in hospital after being shot three times while being chased from the encampment, along with a number of supporters who had gone with him.
An online fundraising page described Smith as “a stand-up dude, a stand-up citizen and a stand-up humanitarian” and said he has been operated on but still needs more surgery.
“It will be a long road ahead of recovery and as a business owner there is no banked sick time or [long-term disability] to fall back on,” the page said. “This fundraiser helps to ease the stress of that for the family and they are truly thankful for the giving and prayers of many.”
Krog reiterated previous appeals to the federal and provincial governments to take “meaningful action” with policies that can deal with violent offenders and help vulnerable people living on the streets.
Nanaimo RCMP Reserve Const. Gary O’Brien said that the best course of action when something is stolen is always to call police. “These situations are extremely volatile and we will help out where we can,” he said.
Sometimes officers’ hands are tied if there are no serial numbers or other identifiers to pinpoint stolen goods, O’Brien said.
He said people can get “very frustrated” and may feel that the court system isn’t working and police can’t do enough.
“But to go into the hornet’s nest is extremely dangerous,” O’Brien said. “Suspects have been injured and citizens have been injured, as well.”
A Downtown Safety Action Plan has been approved by the city, and includes a planfor 12 community-safety officers to help prevent conflict. This year’s city budget will include the cost of the community-safety officers and two full-time, seven-day-a-week cleanup teams.
The city also said that the hiring of six civilian RCMP members this year, and nine civilian and sworn members in the coming five years, will get more officers out of administrative work and onto the streets
Jeff Callaghan of the Van Isle Clean Team, who was part of the group that went to the encampment, said on a Facebook post that despite the shooting, “we are not going to stop helping any good person because they are unhoused.”
“Don’t let a few bad apples spoil your outlook on anyone.”
The GoFundMe page is at https://www.gofundme.com/f/ajufx3-clint-needs-our-help.
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