Police in New Brunswick are warning against vigilantism after a string of crimes on a remote island in the Bay of Fundy.
RCMP are investigating three events on Deer Island, a small island connected by ferry to southwest New Brunswick.
Police said earlier this week a vehicle was heavily damaged at the island’s ferry terminal, an abandoned home was set on fire, and fuel was stolen from the ferry terminal.
RCMP have not specified how the events are connected or why they fear that residents would consider responding with vigilantism.
Spokesperson Cpl. Stéphane Esculier says Mounties do not condone members of the public taking policing matters into their own hands, which he says could result in someone being seriously injured or killed.
Andrea Anderson-Mason, an MLA in southwest New Brunswick, says residents and business owners in her riding are desperate after dealing with increased rates of theft and crime.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2023.