LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - Two Fort Simpson residents are concerned by what they view as escalating vandalism in the village.

Allan Anderson points to the damage that was done by vandals on Oct. 29 to one of the vehicles he has parked on his lot. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

On Thursday, Oct. 29, Allan Anderson discovered someone had smashed the windows of two vehicles parked in his lot located on Highway 1 beside the entrance to Four Mile. Both vehicles were covered with tarps that the vandals removed.

A nearby truck camper had its windows smashed and one window in a shed was also broken. There was also a hole in a plastic water tank.

Anderson said he was very upset by the damage.

"(I was) ready to chew somebody's head off," he said.

"I want it to be known that this isn't going to be tolerated." Anderson said the vandalism must have been done in broad daylight while he was at work. He suspects local youth are to blame.

"I want someone to own up for the damages," he said.

Ken Lambert, who also lives in Wildrose, is wondering if the same teenagers are responsible for the damage done to one of his vehicles.

Lambert was out of the village from Wednesday to Friday evening.

On Saturday, Oct. 31, when he went to start an older model truck he uses on the property Lambert discovered the driver's side window was smashed and a roll of flagging tape he'd had in the cab was gone.

On Thursday, flagging tape was strung across Norwegian Way between two hydro poles. At least one driver had to break quickly thinking it was a more substantial barrier. Lambert is certain it was his missing tape.

Lambert said he suspects people who caused the damage at Anderson's lot likely smashed his truck window and strung up the tape. There was no school in the village on Thursday giving youth lots of free time, he said.

Lambert said he's concerned about the damage to his truck and that it counts as both trespassing and malicious vandalism.

"It's a bit disconcerting that they're going to that level of damage and who knows what will be next," he said.

The Fort Simpson RCMP detachment is seeking assistance. Anyone with information regarding the vandalism is asked to phone Crime Stoppers or the detachment.

Sgt. Ron Prangnell, the detachment commander, said he hasn't reviewed the specific cases and couldn't comment on whether or not there's been a rise in vandalism in the village.