Republished July 29, 2015 - 4:37 PM
Original Publication Date July 29, 2015 - 2:35 PM
MCBRIDE, B.C. - A small community in British Columbia's central Interior says it plans to press charges once police identify an anonymous caller who allegedly threatened the mayor.
The Village of McBride said in a press release that someone with an artificially obscured voice made a threatening phone call to Loranne Martin on Saturday afternoon.
The incident is part of an ongoing issue related to a small group of people that is "bullying, harassing and defaming" councillors and municipal staff, said the release.
"These attacks on both your elected representatives and staff members are an attack, not just of the individuals concerned, but against the good governance and citizens of McBride," states the release.
The village described Saturday's phone call as an "escalation of this behaviour" and said that RCMP have been notified.
"While fair criticism is welcome, attacks threatening material harm are not," it added. "There are lines that should not be crossed and we are now over that line."
The caller allegedly claimed to have hacked the village's communications system and threatened to take unspecified further action.
"Local government is government by the people, for the people," said the release. "We ask for the support of the people of McBride in stopping this behaviour."
News from © The Canadian Press, 2015