Police have taken the rare action of issuing a public warning about the release of a prolific offender in Kelowna, BC..Kelowna RCMP said 45-year-old Justin Wayne Collins was taken into custody on Sunday for assault, mischief, theft of mail, and breach of probation..He had a court hearing the following day and was released with conditions..Court records show Collins is facing charges of assault, theft under $5,000, and mischief under $5,000, and while there are many court-imposed conditions on the 45-year-old Kelowna man, Mounties say he “blatantly ignores” them, as he has conjured up 421 police files and has 64 charges against him since 2016, including assaults, robbery, theft, mischief, and indecent acts..Police say Collins has no fixed address and is unsuitable for supportive housing, further noting he is connected to healthcare services but doesn’t use them and is showing “no signs of becoming healthier in society.”.“The Kelowna RCMP continue to make arrests and bring Justin Collins to court, however without adequate consequences or compulsory pathways to mental health and substance use programs, our public is at risk,” said Kelowna RCMP's Kara Triance.."Collins is a repeat offender who has no regard for the safety and well being of others.”.In May, the BC government set in motion a study about prolific offenders and random violent attacks across the province..In co-operation with the BC Urban Mayors' Caucus (BCUMC) — which represents 13 mayors from cities across BC, including Kelowna’s Colin Basran — the province hired two experts to conduct the investigation and make recommendations to address the problems highlighted by the informal caucus..The BCUMC wrote its letter to provincial officials in April..“Simply because we are compassionate, concerned and taking action on mental health and addiction issues does not mean we have to accept criminal behaviour, vandalism or violence in our communities,” said David Eby, attorney general and BC New Democrat leader hopeful, in response to the mayors..The caucus represents Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, New Westminster, Prince George, Richmond, Saanich, Surrey, Vancouver, Victoria, Abbotsford, Burnaby, and Coquitlam..“As the mayors of BC’s large urban cities, we are at ground zero of hearing the frustration and seeing the consequential impacts that repeat property offenders are having on our communities, local businesses, and residents' sense of safety,” said Basran..The letter also highlights another Kelowna RCMP report about one offender who has been the subject of 346 police files over the last six years, receiving 29 convictions for various property crime and assault offences, only to be routinely released with conditions before re-offending..The aforementioned issues prompted community members in neighbouring Penticton to form what police have called a “vigilante group,” however the group itself says its initiative “is not vigilantism.”.READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Fed up Penticton residents take crime into their own hands.As for the recently released Collins, police ask the public to call them immediately if he’s seen breaking the law or creating “unsafe spaces.”.“We will respond and bring this repeat offender back to the courts,” said Triance..WATCH: Mother and child assaulted in Vancouver, suspect released from custody
