Nanaimo arrest of repeat offender reignites city’s crime debate

Two years ago, Aiden Tye threw a ceramic astatine a pregnant female successful downtown Nanaimo, B.C.

On Friday, he was arrested successful nan aforesaid location, this clip complete a drawstring of fierce outbursts astatine section businesses.

“There was this feline … throwing my patio chairs,” Serious Coffee proprietor Joseph Lee said.

“All of a abrupt he ran into my shop and he wouldn’t travel out. There were immoderate customers already successful location and they freaked out. The point is, he was half-naked, he was only wearing underwear.”

That outburst came conscionable moments aft a akin business up nan roadworthy astatine Reds Bakery.

Tye has since been charged pinch battle and mischief, adding to nan much than 100 charges laid against him since 2005 ranging from uttering threats to assaulting a bid officer.

Alexander Sheaves, whose woman was nan unfortunate of nan ceramic onslaught 2 years ago, said he was shocked to study Tye was backmost connected nan street.

“What nan hellhole is incorrect pinch this criminal strategy erstwhile group for narcotics tin beryllium locked up for up to 5 years, but personification that assaults a nine-month pregnant woman tin get retired aft six months of remand?” he said.

“We person not been backmost successful downtown Nanaimo since. We person really moved retired of Nanaimo because of nan crap that’s going on.”

The lawsuit is symbolic of nan issues nan organization is facing, according to nan Nanaimo Area Public Safety Association.

The group wants to spot stiffer penalties for crime, on pinch much unafraid alternatives for treating group pinch intelligence wellness and addiction problems.

“He has been successful and out, successful and out. He needs to beryllium put successful immoderate benignant of analyzable attraction installation involuntarily,” relation vice-president Kevan Shaw said.

“He should not beryllium allowed to talk our streets until galore people, I americium talking professionals, counsellors, nan justness system, psychologists, motion a insubstantial that says he’s OK to beryllium retired connected nan street.”

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According to nan group, Tye is 1 of 11 group successful Nanaimo being watched by nan province’s caller Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative.

That programme was launched past year, and Shaw based on Tye’s lawsuit shows it isn’t enough.

“He is still connected nan thoroughfare arsenic 1 example,” he said. “He’s getting done nan cracks and location are tons of others who are getting done nan cracks arsenic well.”

In a statement, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth acknowledged Tye was portion of a programme meant to “address precisely this type of behaviour.”

“While this is simply a unspeakable situation, we person heard stories astir interventions done those programs that we’ve brought successful making a existent quality for circumstantial people,” Farnworth said.

“We will proceed to perceive to communities, refine our approaches and return nan basal steps to protect group crossed B.C.”

Shaw said he believes without firmer intervention, it is only a matter of clip earlier Tye aliases personification other kills personification successful nan city.

Sheaves, meanwhile, said he’d conscionable for illustration to bask nan metropolis again someday.

“Downtown Nanaimo is really a bully spot to spell if you don’t gotta interest astir each that stuff,” he said.

“My kids emotion it. But I’m sorry I can’t return them down location not knowing if they’re going to beryllium attacked again.”