Jason Reynan with the group Clean Streets Penticton caught this image in the early morning of June 17, 2022, just before his mountain bike was stolen from the Minute Muffler and Brake office.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Jason Reynan

A Penticton business owner is one of many fed up with property crime and petty theft in the city and he's organizing a group to retrieve stolen items.

Jason Reynan patrols the streets of Penticton with two or three other people, looking for groups of street-entrenched people who are hoarding things he believes are stolen.

"The majority, when confronted, would hand it over in a second. Most are high at the time or very frail," Reynan said. "When they see three or four guys walk up, they'll hand it over."

What started as a small Facebook group called Clean Streets Penticton has grown to more than 2,000 members. He said the group is made up of local residents and business owners fed up with property crime and petty theft, looking to take back their stolen goods when police haven't.

READ MORE: The ever-changing roles of Penticton's bylaw officers

He explained the group will often have photos of things that are stolen and maybe surveillance footage to help identify a suspect, then he will canvass the streets and search for those items. Other things may not be reported stolen, but may appear suspicious.

"I'm not sure what an addict on the street is doing with brand new tools and a power belt, or brand new (motorcycle) riding shoes," he said.

Reynan had thousands of dollars stolen from his business in the past year, but the final straw for him came when his mountain bike was stolen from the office of one of his businesses, Minute Muffler and Brake.

After thieves broke into a window, they took his bike around 4 a.m. June 17. When he returned early that morning to repair the broken window he also had a look at the surveillance footage.

"I got a good shot of his hoodie, a hat and a little bit of facial recognition," he said.

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Over a period of three days, he went to different shelters, or what he calls "wet houses," across the city and questioned both residents and employees about the suspect and his roughly $6,000 bike. He gave out his phone number to those who listened and eventually got a tip about the suspect and his location.

"I chased him by hospital up to (its) doors," he said. "I walked back and found some stolen items. From there, the same guy with the tip mentioned he knew who had my bike."

Now planning to meet with the third person supposedly involved, Reynan used "coercion" to convince the person with his bike to return it at his auto shop with the promised of a $1,000 reward.

Reynan didn't say exactly how, but after exchanging the money for his bike, he took the $1,000 back too.

"I don't suggest for most people to do what I did, but I felt it was the only way to get it back."

A police officer later responded when Reynan reported the incident.

"He was quite nice and had nothing to say except well done," Reynan said. "He said, 'I wouldn't offer money next time.'"

He said he's since spoken to other officers in Penticton who empathize with what Clean Streets is doing, voicing similar frustrations with criminal behaviour.

"I do believe the detachment is not going to have a problem with what we're doing," he said.

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"I've talked to quite a few members. Most, if not all, feel the same pain. They understand their hands are tied," he said, referring to the courts not keeping criminals, or suspected criminals, in custody.

Reynan sees the group as a culmination of frustrations in the community with prolific offenders. He wants thieves to know it's not just police looking out for stolen items in Penticton, and their owners want them back.

What we're trying to do to let them know there are people out on their feet," he said. "It's very easy to paint a picture and say it's vigilantism, but if we say we're local watch group, I wouldn't be telling the truth.

"We are confronting people. When we head out, I would go with, at any given time, from two to three other guys. If we are confronted, we stand a decent chance of getting the items back."

He added the group doesn't resort to violence, but he owns a crossfit gym and has trained in martial arts, so if he needs to defend himself, he feels prepared.

Any items they retrieve that aren't already reported as stolen are donated, he said. Bikes go to PDSCL, a Penticton non-profit bike shop that fixes and sells its donations.

He also said he's gotten feedback from people in West Kelowna, where he lives, and in Kamloops who are interested in starting similar groups.

iNFOnews.ca reached out to Penticton RCMP to request an interview regarding its position on vigilantism and support for Clean Streets from local officers, but it instead responded with a news release.

READ MORE: Crime trending downward in Penticton despite very active prolific offenders

The detachment "understands" people are frustrated with property crime, but urged the public that those who "take matters into their own hands" puts themselves and the community at risk, RCMP said.

RCMP warned "provocation of violence may result in serious injuries or other crimes."

— This story was updated at 11:33 a.m., July 13, 2022, to correctly name Jason Reynan's business as Minute Muffler and Brake.

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