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Vernon’s police station a shame

LETTER: Writer asks city to invest in our force
17351971_web1_170227-VMS-M-RCMP-office1

Last month, I explored the area from Vernon to Williams Lake. On the drive, I saw something that should make every citizen of Vernon ashamed.

What is this you ask?

When you are driving on Highway 97 and go through 100 Mile House, as you enter from the south you see a beautiful, big new building—the police station for a village of approximately 2,000 people and all police vehicles are in a secured parking area.

Why should we be ashamed you ask? Well, look at what we give our police to work out of—a building I think that was built in 1987 and as far as I can find out never added on to.

We are a city of approximately 45,000 people and we ask our police to work in this old dark and dingy building.

We are asking our police officers to aid in reducing many problems in Vernon.

The council has given them more manpower and they have new vehicles.

See: More RCMP officers heading to North Okanagan

Well fellow citizens, I think it is high time we give them a bright new building to work out of.

This will have many advantages. AS of now, police vehicles are parked on the street. It shows our police officers that we have faith in them and are behind their efforts.

It should help them to complete more cases, more rooms and more equipment.

I am a former police officer, not RCMP, and I would find it difficult to work in their current building and still be enthused about my job.

I think it is time that the mayor and council hold a meeting before any projects and budget plans are set.

This should be open forum—no interest groups just citizens and limited to four minutes and two questions regarding major projects to undertake.

Councils present and past have put money into a cultural centre (without anyone giving out all the information) and added upgrades and reduced parking on 30th Street, disregarding what the public wanted after he first section was done.

See: Elected officials lobby for government grants for Vernon cultural centre

Do they really think that connecting 43rd Avenue to 25th Avenue is going to be the new pedestrian and bike corridor that that they have tried to sell us?

No, because 30th and 29th streets do not align except for the use of roundabouts, another test that was not well received but they still built them anyway.

Garry Haas


@VernonNews
letters@vernonmorningstar.com

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