Prolific offender charged 64 times since 2016 back in Kelowna, police warn

Kelowna RCMP described Justin Wayne Collins, 45, as a "prolific offender," and asked anyone who sees him breaking the law to call 911. (Handout)

Authorities have issued a public warning that a "prolific offender" who has been charged dozens of times has once again been released from custody into B.C.'s Okanagan.

Justin Wayne Collins, a 45-year-old of no fixed address, was arrested over the weekend on allegations of assault, mischief, theft of mail, and breach of a probation order, but has since been released back into Kelowna.

Supt. Kara Triance, head of the Kelowna RCMP, said officers have repeatedly arrested Collins and taken him to court, but that he has yet to face "adequate consequences," or been placed into a mental health and substance use program.

Mounties believe Collins' release puts the public at risk, and urged anyone who sees him breaking the law to call 911.

"Collins is a repeat offender who has no regard for the safety and well being of others," Triance said in a news release.

According to police, Collins has generated 421 police files and been charged with 64 counts since 2016, for offences ranging from violent thefts to indecent acts.

He remains under a number of previous "court-imposed conditions and trespass notices prohibiting his public access to businesses," Kelowna RCMP said in the release, but added that he "blatantly disregards" those conditions.

Back in May, the B.C. government announced an independent study into repeat criminal offenders in the province, in the hopes of developing a new strategy for dealing with chronic crime.

At the time, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth described the 120-day study as "an important initial step in a very complex issue."

But the approach has also faced some criticism, including from Nits’ilʔin (Chief) Joe Alphonse, tribal chair of the Tŝilhqot’in National Government, who noted the apparent lack of robust Indigenous consultation. The province has only promised those conducting the study will “reach out to key stakeholders,” among them the B.C. First Nations Justice Council.

"To me, it seems like the same old stuff that they've been rolling out over and over again, the cowboy approach to dealing with justice. Over and over again they get the same results, and yet they continue to keep thinking that's the answer," Alphonse said in May. "To get creative, they need to involve Indigenous leadership all throughout B.C."

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Lisa Steacy