The CEO of Interior Health says its unacceptable that people would vandalize the vehicles of staff in Kamloops while they are at work.

Susan Brown says the health authority has security guards patrolling the parking lots that they operate.

“It is extremely unfortunate. The last thing anybody wants is to go to their vehicle after working a long shift and seeing it being vandalized. If its not on our property, it becomes challenging for us to intervene,” she told NL News.

“Where staff sometimes maybe quite late have to walk to their vehicle that is off site, we have got a safe walk program and security and other support staff to walk them to their vehicle.”

Brown’s comments come as the BC Nurses Union called on Interior Health to beef up security for nurses and staff in Kamloops after concerns were raised in recent weeks.

“This issue has been raised with the employer and from multiple union representatives that they are concerned about the health and safety of the staff that work there. And I do know that reports have gone to the RCMP and the RCMP is involved. Security does need to be increased,” Sorensen told NL News.

Earlier this month, Kamloops RCMP confirmed they are investigating three separate instances where someone allegedly put nails behind vehicle tires in a parking lot near Ponderosa Lodge downtown. According to reports online, there have been many more such incidents in Kamloops.

Brown says those incidents happened in a parking lot owned or managed by Interior Health, but notes they’ve reached out to staff to find alternate parking options. She also admits that staff parking is a challenge, adding Interior Health is doing what it can to find more options for staff to park.

“We’re doing everything we can to secure new space to extend the stalls that are available. So we have secured three off site parking areas and of course, the new Patient Care Tower will create about a 100 new parking stalls for the site,” Brown added.