Pinantan Elementary School (Image Credit: CFJC News)

By Sydney Chisholm

Pinantan Lake

In the midst of a crime spree, Pinantan Lake residents search for answers

Feb 22, 2023 | 4:31 PM

KAMLOOPS – Residents of Pinantan Lake are calling it a crime spree, after yet another break-in at the community’s elementary school.

Tuesday night (Feb. 21) marked the fourth break-in at Pinantan’s elementary school in the last two weeks.

The culprits smashed several windows and, according to a local parent, made off with the students’ iPads.

And the elementary school hasn’t been the only target. The local general store was broken into in recent weeks and residents say auto theft is becoming more common.

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According to the RCMP, multiple stolen vehicles, some from Kamloops, have been recovered in Pinantan.

“Police are aware there’s been a recent uptick in the criminal activity in that area [Pinantan],” said RCMP Cpl. Crystal Evelyn from the RCMP, “which includes locating and recovering some stolen vehicles.”

Evelyn said the T’kemlups Rural RCMP detachment and Kamloops RCMP are working together on a number of ongoing investigations underway in the community.

Cory George, a longtime resident of Pinantan Lake and owner of the General Store in the community told CFJC News petty theft and minor crime have popped up here and there like any other community over the years.

“This is not that,” George said. “This is a group of people – like an organized group of people that have literally started targeting our community.”

According to George, the series of incidents started a couple of years ago but the activity really ramped up in the last several months.

“The police are about 20 minutes away from us, they are understaffed, they are not in the community on a regular basis, and it just seems to be exploding,” George said. “In the last six months, it’s just exploded into a crime spree.”

Evelyn said residents are encouraged to keep an eye out and reach out with any information they might have.

“Pinantan is a small community, which actually can work to their advantage,” Evelyn said, adding that residents will have a better idea of suspicious activity than RCMP.

Community members say they have reached out to Lee Morris, the area’s TNRD representative, for help but haven’t heard anything back

CFJC Today reached out to Morris as well but did not hear back by our deadline.

“Residents are afraid,” George said. “Pinantan used to be a community you could leave your car unlocked and you wouldn’t have to worry about it. You could leave your house door unlocked and not really have to worry about it and now residents are afraid.”