Violent incidents show need for more police, say Conception Bay North mayors
Details are scarce about a suspicious death reported in Bay Roberts Monday
Little is known three days after a suspicious death in Bay Roberts, but the town's mayor says residents are feeling uneasy and there's a need for more police resources.
Human remains were found on Monday inside of a burned pickup truck on a dirt road in Bay Roberts, along Newfoundland's Conception Bay.
Bay Roberts Mayor Walter Yetman said the town is offering condolences to the person's family, and that residents are naturally fearful given what happened.
"It's a terrible tragedy that happened within our community. It is worrisome." Yetman said Thursday.
Yetman said the RCMP assured him there isn't a further risk to public safety and he's confident police will find out what happened — but knows that residents are concerned.
The burning truck was found two days after a similar incident in Makinsons, where a car believed to be involved in a violent shooting on Random Island was found engulfed in flames.
It also calls back to a similar suspicious death in the nearby community of Harbour Grace, where the remains of Adam Mercer were found inside a burning vehicle. Those responsible haven't been brought to justice.
"I look at it as almost one big community. And with these three incidents happening, yes there is concern," Yetman said.
"We don't want to take [police] resources from anybody else, but we have the numbers to prove it. The data is there to prove that we need more resources out here."
Don Coombs, mayor of Harbour Grace, said he was shocked to learn of the incident on Wednesday and it's similarities to the death of Mercer.
"It's frightening. And it's consistent," he said.
"If you see something, it's just call the RCMP, call your mayor, call one of your town councillors. But don't live in fear, but take the security measures that that you need to take right now in this day and age, because the world that we lived in two years ago is not the world that we live in today."
Coombs said he's heard similar concerns from residents about crime in his community. He believes an influx of drugs could be a causing factor, and said it's up to communities to work with police and advocate for change.
"Are we going to fix it? Not happening. But we got to try to get it under control," he said.
"There is a federal [and] there is a provincial election coming up sometime in the future, and I would ask, lobby any candidate, we got to get more resources for our police forces. They can't keep up with the day-to-day activity."
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With files from Terry Roberts
