The district is facing an embarrassing situation that's been swept under the rug for far too long.
A growing number of visitors are starting to realize that this little patch of paradise is home to a high level of thievery. Persistent rip-off artists are running the cops ragged, driving up insurance rates and generally bringing a honey wagonload of disrepute to the community.
Just talk to the touring cyclist who rode all the way up to Mile 23 on the 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 Valley Road, stopped to get a drink out of the river and summarily had his complete kit boosted.
Talk to the Australian visitors who had their wallets, three cameras, a laptop computer, and prescription drugs stolen in broad daylight from their vehicle parked on Cleveland Avenue.
Talk to another group of tourists who had their wallets and purses, a laptop computer and various other items pilfered from their rental vehicle parked at Shannon Falls.
While you're at it, talk to the visitor whose wallet, sundry credit cards and cash, along with an iPod, was stolen from his vehicle at Nexen Beach.
These are not happy campers folks, and all those flashy high definition videos, the glossy brochures, or the revamped muni website extolling the virtues of the Shining Valley, will do little to moderate their anger.
Just as important, we should realize that the victims here are not just the people who get ripped
off. Visitors who have possessions stolen will advise their colleagues to be leery of 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料.
The theory goes like this: each victim will tell five friends, who will tell five others, and so on. This ever widening circle of negative publicity is sure to put the kibosh on costly taxpayer funded promotions designed to lure visitors to our newly minted tourist-based economy.
In the electronic age bad news travels at the speed of light via email, text messaging, Skype, and Twitter.
According to the muni website "the goals and objectives of protective services are directed towards making the community of 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 a safer environment in which to live, learn, work and play."
To that end, the district's annual report declared that the RCMP will be involved in an expansion of crime reduction strategies.
So let's transform some of this rhetoric into reality. GPS and radio frequency theft deterrent technology is readily available. Two cutting edge firms in the field, Pegasus Technologies at Pegtech.com, and RFID at rfidinc.com are both just a mouse click away.
Once the district's security operatives buy in, the first step is to arm selected "bait" items with GPS, radio frequency tracking, or a combination of the two, and locate them strategically throughout the community.
The next step is to announce the fact that this technology is being deployed with "Steal a Bike. Get Busted" ads proclaiming that bait bikes and other items are out there.
As an additional deterrent the identities of those convicted of theft should be publicized in the community. At the moment thieves who are apprehended and go to trial escape into the distant anonymity of a North Vancouver courtroom.
Hello 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 protective services, are you listening?
