Mayor Michelle Boileau says the weekend break-in at the Schumacher Volunteer Fire Hall is “concerning” and “disappointing”.
When a thief or thieves broke in, they stole $6,000 worth of firefighting and lifesaving equipment.
Boileau agrees that this is important stuff.
“Especially considering that should there be an emergency that the Schumacher volunteer firefighters would have to respond, they would be short of that equipment,” she elaborates.
There’s no official evidence to this yet, but the mayor speculates that the incident could be one symptom of several social issues affecting the city. She says crimes like these are often “crimes of desperation”.
“We’re facing significant issues with mental health and especially the opioid crisis,” she notes. “So we know that a lot of this crime is attributed to the fact that people are trying to manage their addictions.”
Boileau is thanking Timmins Police for its response and investigation, with hope for a positive outcome.