VANCOUVER -- Coquitlam RCMP are issuing an apology and a clarification concerning a statement made over the weekend regarding reports of attempted abductions of women in the Tri-Cities area that have been circulating online.
“We regret that this has caused anger and has upset people,” said the statement released late Monday. “In no way was it meant to be disrespectful or dismissive of the public’s concern.”
In the original statement, the Coquitlam RCMP said there is "no evidence" of such incidents and urged people to "stop spreading unproven rumours."
"The initial response from police, appears to be a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to maybe a sense that this situation was sort of out of their control," said Angela Marie MacDougall, executive director of Battered Women's Support Services.
On Sunday, Mounties issued an updated statement, saying that their use of the term "rumours" had "angered some" and "left others feeling dismissed."
"To clarify; any direct report of an attempted abduction that is made to the Coquitlam RCMP is taken very seriously and investigated thoroughly," the detachment said in its second release.
"When we ask you to avoid spreading rumours, we are referring specifically to someone who is not a witness or victim and then shares social media posts written by someone else," the statement continues. "Those third-party reports are rumour because there has been no attempt to verify or corroborate the facts."
Some of the third-party reports appear to be tied to a video posted on TikTok, in which a woman warns others of reports on social media from people saying they were followed. The woman in the video suggests those in the area should arm themselves.
In the latest statement, RCMP called those calls to arm themselves “very concerning.” But MacDougall told CTV News that already happens regularly.
"Let's not make a mistake in thinking women aren't already arming themselves," said MacDougall, who described how many women carry keys between their fingers while walking or have bear or paper spray in their purse. She said some even sleep with a baseball bat under their beds.
In some northern communities, MacDougall said, long guns are ubiquitous, so it's not uncommon for women to arm themselves with those.
"There's all these things that we do to deal with male violence."
Monday’s RCMP news release said “there is nothing to indicate that people are being abducted or there is an increase in reported cases.”
Mounties are looking into three reports that people were followed by a white van, but “there was no other interaction.” There is also a fourth file that confirms a man was “forced into a white panelled van” which is still under investigation.
The news release says all four mentions of a white van in a neighbourhood were “reported after seeing similar posts on social media. No links, trends or increases in missing persons was identified.”
But, MacDougall told CTV News, there are missing women in the Lower Mainland right now who are part of on going investigations.
"Women are connecting the dots on all of these circumstances, both in terms of what's in the media, what's in social media, but also in their own lives."
But Mounties say there are no links to recent missing persons cases identified in Port Moody, Chilliwack or anywhere else in the province.
The RCMP detachment says it will "continue to prioritize and investigate any reported abduction attempt as we would any serious public safety issue," and that if there's any evidence of a heightened risk, inform the public immediately.
"The RCMP in their second release appear to have stepped back from their original position," said MacDougall. "That ends up being the case because the community drives and shares their own experience and the police are often out of touch with what the community is seeking."
MacDougall said upward of 60 per cent of women report experiencing sexualized violence and 40 per cent report being followed by a stranger.
"This isn't a figment of anybody's imagination," she said. "This is actually happening in the real world."
Mounties say anyone who is concerned about personal safety should follow some basic guidelines.
Those include being alert and aware of surroundings, avoiding distractions while walking or driving, avoiding confrontations over driving behaviour or parking spots, wearing bright clothing and obeying traffic laws, walking with others when in isolated areas and calling police immediately when feeling unsafe or witnessing a crime in progress.
Anyone who believes they've been a victim of an abduction attempt or thinks they witnessed one should call their local police, Coquitlam RCMP said, adding that crimes in progress should be reported to 911.
