The operator of Penticton’s Parkers Chrysler dealership is not surprised but frustrated with the latest senseless act of vandalism to some of his vehicles.
Surveillance video shows a young man on what appears to be an electric scooter pull up to a vehicle at Parkers at 6:10 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 7.
The suspect proceeds to take a crowbar to the vehicle’s passenger windows. At one point, his pants fall down, and he is left breaking the window in his bright orange underwear. He then moves to a second vehicle where he breaks those windows too.
He leaves the crowbar there and flees on the scooter. Police have since recovered the crowbar for prints.
“It’s gotten to the point that we are just beyond frustrated with the ongoing vandalism and crime,” said Jim Tabler, general manager of Parkers. “It’s near daily.”
“In the past year, we’ve spent $200,000 on security measures including having security here at night,” Tabler said.
Other security measures include new fencing put up around the entire back lot after countless entries and thefts. Since it was installed the fencing has been cut in spots.
The vandalism on Sunday took place in front of the showroom that has massive floodlights on that part of the lot and several cameras. But at that time in the morning, it was still pitch black.
“We did have people working at that time but unfortunately, it happened very fast.”
“They are so brazen because they just don’t care and they know nothing is going to happen to them,” he said.
Tabler has heard that the culprit has been caught and released to appear in court at a later date.
“That’s also the frustration that they know there are no consequences to anything they do and then they are released back into the community. What’s to stop them from coming back or doing this somewhere else?”
The Western News has reached out to the RCMP but has not heard back yet.
While the local homeless shelter is located across the street, Parkers doesn’t blame Compass House for the vandalism.
“It’s not the residents of Compass House but it’s the people drawn to that shelter who are causing some of the problems,” he said.
As business owners in the area, it has become an ever-expanding cost to do business in Penticton.
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