RCMP issues warning against vigilantism in Squamish

Mounties in Squamish are asking people not to take things into their own hands following a slew of social media posts claiming a man or group of men are stalking, intimidating, and potentially trying to abduct women in the community.

The anger and frustration in some of the posts is obvious, as they warn the alleged culprits of possible retribution.

Some posts say, “Your days are numbered,” “You have been warned,” and “Local justice will prevail,” with posts including a coffin and skeleton emoji.

One person writes bluntly, “We know you who are.”

One woman has taken to Facebook saying she encountered a group of men at her workplace in the community’s downtown core. Writing in part, “He had been standing there for 10 minutes just watching me, and every time I looked over, he ducked back into the aisle.”

(Courtesy Facebook)

“Two hours later, he and one of his friends come into the store. I was helping a customer at self-scan, and as I look up, he’s about 2-3 feet from me, death glaring at me. His friend is down aisle one watching me, and at this point I knew I was in danger,” she claimed.

Her lengthy online post details both suspect and vehicle descriptions, and says the face-to-face interaction happened in June, but only now is the RCMP publicly saying anything about this.

Mounties have issued a public warning, asking people not to take anything into their own hands.

“We ask that residents continue to be our eyes and ears on the ground, reporting any suspicious activity directly to us rather than through social media or other informal channels,” Mounties said.

“We understand that safety concerns can lead to frustration, but it is important to allow law enforcement to manage public safety in a lawful way. Working together, we can address community concerns and keep Squamish safe for everyone.

“Engaging in acts of vigilantism places individuals at personal risk and has targeted innocent people in this community. Vigilantism may also inadvertently interfere with ongoing investigations, jeopardizing the safety of others and potentially compromising the legal process. Public safety is best upheld when citizens and law enforcement work together in a spirit of trust and collaboration,” police explained.

The RCMP is also responding to accusations it’s not doing anything about community concerns. “While some of our work may not be immediately visible, we are continuously active in our efforts to protect the community,” said Staff Sgt. Gareth Bradley.