A group of local residents want what they consider to be a danger to be removed from the community.
Neighbours in the area of Spratt Road say that an individual living in a home under the supervision of Community Living BC (CLBC) poses a risk to their safety.
CLBC provides services and housing for adults with developmental disabilities.
Not only do the neighbours want the individual removed, they want the house shut down.
Their concerns stem from an incident that occurred on Jan. 18.
Dale Abbott, a nearby resident, said that on that day at about 10:15 a.m., he and his wife became aware that somebody was on their front lawn.
Abbott tried to talk to the man, but the individual quickly came towards him with his arms straight out.
Abbott retreated into his home and locked the door, just as the stranger slammed his full body weight into the door.
The stranger then “thrust his fist” through the glass pane closest to the door lock and groped for the lock, cutting himself in the process.
Abbott told his wife to call 911.
She was told that police had already been dispatched.
Abbott said the stranger then withdrew his hand, moved away from the door and “bent over and screamed at the ground.”
Abbott said the stranger picked up a portable barbecue and threw it towards the bay window of the house. He also threw a table at the window.
The Abbotts, who are both retired, say they were terrified.
The man walked away, out of view, but returned, picked up handfuls of rocks, which he threw against Abbott’s truck and the house.
Abbott grabbed a crowbar, just in case the stranger made it into his home.
The stranger went to the back of the house and shook the French doors. He also caused some other minor damages.
The experience lasted 10 minutes before police arrived.
Abbott said police told him the man had been taken down by two police officers and a dog and was in custody.
He later found out the stranger was living on Spratt Road and had managed to evade his supervisors and leave the property.
“Prior to this, we had no knowledge that a person such as this was being housed in our neighbourhood,” Abbott said.
“The whole thing about the home, it was only the people directly around it that knew anything about it. I knew nothing, we had heard nothing,” he added.
Abbott said the situation has the neighbourhood in an uproar.
“A lot of the neighbours are scared.”
Abbott provided The Record with a report from CLBC regarding the incident. It explains how the person managed to leave the home.
“The resident became agitated and was able to pull apart the strike locks into the caregivers’ section of the house and exit the front door,” the report said.
“His behavioural assessment had designed the security system – which we can now see was inaccurate as his strength, when agitated, far exceeded the lock.”
The report goes on to say that after the incident, the resident was hospitalized for several days and was returned to the home.
The document also lists several steps that will now be taken, including:
• installing new locks with a higher strike-lock grade;
• installing higher and more reinforced fencing;
• installing cameras – more likely to be an analysis of an incident than the prevention of one, the report says
• ongoing work with the behavioural specialist
But Abbott said these measures are not enough to change his or the neighbours’ minds.
“I know they are trying to get a petition up to try to get charges filed.
“As far as charges, I would have loved to have seen charges,” Abbott said, adding that he is disappointed Mission RCMP have not filed any.
Mission RCMP Cpl. Nathan Berze said he can’t comment on the incident’s details because no charges have been filed.
But speaking generically, he explained that, “When offences happen, we work with the victim to determine what the best outcome is. When someone is victimized, to automatically charge someone is not always the best resolution.”
He said police learned after the incident that “there was some significant concern in the community.” The RCMP wanted to facilitate a conversation between the Spratt Road community CLBC and Milieu Family Services, an organization that provides support to adults with disabilities.
A meeting took place on Feb. 12 at the Mission RCMP detachment and close to 100 people attended.
Berze said the goal was to develop a platform for communication, then and in the future.
However, a second meeting was called and residents got together Tuesday night of this week, this time without the RCMP or CLBC.
Abbott said they still want to shut down the house.
“The neighbourhood is really choked on one thing – that is, stop using the confidentiality issue to hide behind. Everything we ask is always, ‘Well, we can’t tell you because of confidentiality.’ “
Representatives from CLBC declined to talk to The Record directly, instead issuing a written statement via email.
It reads:
“CLBC provides services and supports for adults with developmental disabilities, and for privacy reasons, cannot share personal information about individuals we serve, the services they receive or where they live.
“We are committed to working with stakeholders to support the inclusion of individuals with developmental disabilities in the community.
“Our residential services provide people with an opportunity to live in a non-institutional environment, supported by caring staff members. When securing a new home, CLBC works with its partners such as BC Housing to ensure it complies with local zoning regulations.
“CLBC and our service providers take very seriously any concerns of residents, and work with local police to support their efforts to ensure public safety.”
