Vandals in Slocan hit the transfer station and sawmill this month, but police aren’t sure the incidents are related.
Sometime during the evening of August 11, someone broke into several buildings at the idle Springer Creek Forest Products mill.
RCMP say several buildings were spray-painted and a few doors were kicked in, although nothing appears to have been taken.
An alarm went off, but it wasn’t reported to police until few days later. They gathered some evidence and say they have some leads, but can’t go into details. No damage estimate was given. A similar incident occurred at the mill in April.
The same weekend, the Slocan transfer station was vandalized twice.
Mike Morrison, Regional District of Central Kootenay resource recovery manager, told 103.5 The Bridge windows were broken, materials strewn around the site, and someone tried to break into the attendant’s building.
The damage prevented the facility from opening that morning.
“We fixed the building Saturday afternoon and it was re-vandalized sometime between Sunday and Tuesday,” he says.
Morrison adds vandalism has been a recurring, intermittent problem at the transfer station over the last three or four years, with an increase in incidents in the summer.
He doesn’t think they’re being specifically targeted, but still finds it frustrating.
“All of these events increase the burden on the taxpayer and create pressure financially on us when we have to fix the facilities,” he says.
While RCMP are investigating, the regional district is looking at beefing up security by adding armoring around the attendant’s building and installing video surveillance, already in use at other sites.
A pop machine was also vandalized in Slocan around the same time, but police say they don’t have anything to tie it to the other incidents.
Charges expected in golf course vandalism
Meanwhile, up to eight people — seven youths and one adult — may face charges after the Valley View golf course in Appledale was extensively vandalized following a break-in on the Canada Day long weekend.
Maintenance equipment was wrecked, golf carts were trashed, and “significant damage” was done to buildings and fences on the property, police said in a news release.
Damage is estimated at over $60,000.
Police say alcohol was involved.
The Slocan Lake detachment worked with the Kootenay Boundary forensic identification services and general investigation section to identify the suspects, none of whom are from Appledale.
Charges of break and enter, theft, and mischief are being recommended.
One youth has already pled guilty and will have a sentencing hearing next month. Two others have first court appearances scheduled for September.