Revelstoke RCMP are recommending charges of theft under $5,000 against three people after staff at the Revelstoke Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Store mounted a surveillance campaign in order to stop persistent after-hours theft from the parking lot at their location on Second Street.

Store manager Val Chamberlain says theft of items donated to the charity has been an ongoing issue -- enough so that the store installed security cameras to combat the problem.

Chamberlain says that over time they saw several of the same people coming back again and again to rummage through donations left after hours. “You really notice it whenever they start making a mess – tearing bags apart and throwing things all over just to get what they wanted out of the bags. Then it makes you take the time and watch the tapes to find out who’s making this … mess,” she said.

Because Revelstoke is a small community, the identity of those picking over the items doesn’t stay a mystery for long, says Chamberlain.

She says the store has had the security cameras for some time but going though the hours of footage is time consuming.

Chamberlain noted that in the past she’s seen people back into the lot in high-end vehicles. After they unload a bag with some rags or something similar, they then load up the trunk with whatever they please.

She notes the low prices at the store. Everything in the store is very, very inexpensive – usually just a couple of dollars – saying there is no real need to steal.

Cpl. Rod Wiebe of Revelstoke RCMP detachment concurs that theft from the thrift store has been an ongoing issue, and that police had discussed how to resolve the issue with staff. “It is an increasing problem that needs to stop,” he writes. “It’s theft.”

Despite what people may think, items dropped off at the store become the property of the store, and removing them equals shoplifting. “Anyone caught will be prosecuted,” Cpl. Wiebe writes in a statement.

The RCMP have recommended charges of theft under $5,000 against a 51-year-old female, a 26-year-old female and a 29-year-old male.

Chamberlain also took the opportunity to make a few general requests from the public.

Staff at the volunteer-run store asks that people do not drop off large items such as major appliances. They also request that items be brought by during operating hours, though they say they can understand it is sometimes not possible.

Of course, the store doesn’t want garbage dumped off at the shop. Chamberlain says they have significant monthly costs associated with hauling trash to the dump. She notes, however, that defining trash can be a delicate issue – a well-used treasure in one person’s mind can also be someone else’s trash.

The Revelstoke Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Store donates to a wide variety of causes in Revelstoke, including a spectrum of health care related causes, the food bank and lots of health care related items around the community. As a recent example, funds raised at the store went towards purchasing a special lift at the Revelstoke Aquatic Centre that helps those with mobility issues into the pool.