Coun. Jason Lum said he would like to see a stronger police presence in Yarrow following a spate of property crime in the area.

And according to the RCMP, he will. Lum, who lives in Yarrow, told council last week that the community had seen an increase in crime recently.

"The school has been hit three, four, five times," he said. "It's unacceptable."

Lum said he had been told that much of the crime is drug-related and suggested the city work with the RCMP to address crime in Chilliwack's rural areas.

"We need to work with the RCMP and make sure people don't feel like victims just because they live in an outlying area," he said. "It's a huge, huge issue and I think it demands our utmost attention-and not just in Yarrow but in the Greendales, the Rosedales, the outlying areas. People need to feel like they're being heard and responded to in a timely fashion."

He added: "I'd love to see a show of force out there."

RCMP spokesperson Const. Tracy Wolbeck said the increase in property crime has not been limited to Yarrow.

"We've had an increase in the property crime rate throughout the [Upper Fraser Valley Regional Detachment] for quite some time now," Wolbeck told the Times. "It's definitely not a unique phenomenon in Yarrow."

But she said police are upping their presence in Chilliwack's rural areas. Wolbeck said each of the RCMP's four watches have been assigned a different rural area. Rosedale, Greendale, Yarrow and Ryder Lake have all been assigned to the watches. Wolbeck said residents in those communities should see an increased visible police presence.

tolsen@chilliwacktimes.com