Mayor Bloomfield has issued the following Statement
“The City of Penticton welcomes the Province’s recent investment in the Chronic Property Offending Intervention Initiative.
“Penticton being selected as one of 12 new locations for this new initiative is a significant and positive step not only for our city, but for communities across the South Okanagan. It reflects the strength of the partnerships we have built locally and recognizes the leadership role our community is playing in advancing coordinated approaches to public safety.
“Chronic property crime continues to have a real and lasting impact on our residents, local businesses, and overall sense of safety. This initiative represents an important step forward in addressing repeat offending through a more coordinated, targeted, and intervention focused approach.
“In Penticton, we are already seeing encouraging progress. Recent RCMP data indicates measurable declines in key areas, including a 32 per cent reduction in business break and enters and a 45 per cent decrease in thefts from vehicles compared to five-year averages. Overall property crime has also declined by approximately 27 per cent, based on 2025 reporting. These trends reflect the impact of targeted local strategies, including our focus on repeat offenders, proactive hotspot patrols, and strong coordination between partners.
“This work was also a topic of discussion during our June 12 meeting with Minister of State for Community Safety and Integrated Services, Terry Yung, reinforcing the importance of continued provincial local collaboration and advocacy to address chronic offending and improve community safety.
“At the same time, we know there is more work to do. Addressing complex challenges like chronic offending requires sustained collaboration across all levels of government, as well as health, justice, and social service partners.
“This provincial investment complements the work already underway in Penticton, including the development of our Community Safety and Well Being Plan, which is focused on long term, coordinated solutions that address root causes while strengthening prevention, intervention, and community confidence.
“We look forward to continuing this work together to strengthen community safety and public confidence throughout the South Okanagan.”