It happens just about every day and night.
Someone – somewhere – suspects illegal activity or has a complaint and the first and generally only thing that person does is sit down and post to a public Facebook group.
There is a car driving down my street.
I saw someone looking in my backyard.
The neighbor’s dog is barking.
A pick up truck was speeding through downtown this afternoon and triggered my Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Okay, not all such posts are so trivial and people’s tendency towards paranoia and whiny natures are not the point.
The point is this – it is not enough to post to Facebook and expect any result other than getting a few moments of attention.
If you have a complaint about what you think might be dangerous, or might be a crime, you actually have to pick up the phone.
In an interview with The Spotlight this week RCMP Sergeant Robert Hughes categorically stated that police do not monitor Facebook as a means of learning what is happening, and they don’t act on posts they may see on Facebook.
“Posting on Facebook is not a report. It’s not reporting a crime. You need to call us,” he said.
What was not stated but surely is implicit in that comment is this: cops are also not mind readers and they don’t subscribe to the psychic hot-line either.
For every post about a petty theft or bad driver there is almost always a comment such as “well the cops don’t do anything” or “where are the police?”
You have to call them folks.
If it’s urgent call 911.
If it’s not urgent but you want to speak to an officer and make police aware of an issue call the administrative local line at 250-295-6911.
It may sound old-fashioned – using your phone to call someone – but that’s the way it works.
– Similkameen Spotlight.
