Ashley Salmen is reeling after a recent theft from her vehicle outside her Kelowna, B.C., townhouse.
“I want the uniform back. I want it off the street,” Salmen said.
Salmen is a paramedic and among the items recently stolen was her uniform and paramedic ID.
“It has the patches, the emblems and that’s my concern, is that someone is going to use this uniform for ill will,” Salmen told Global News.
The theft happened on Saturday, Jan. 31 on Kneller Road in the city’s Rutland area.
The first responder says it was just before 7 a.m. when she came home after working an overnight shift.
She says she parked her vehicle in front of her garage to run inside and grab something before leaving again. But when she got back outside, her bag was gone.
“I didn’t realize my passenger door was unlocked. I didn’t double check my vehicle because I was only going for not even two minutes,” Salmen said. “I parked at 6:50 in the morning and by 6:52 my stuff had been taken.”
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A neighbour’s security camera captured a video of a woman walking through the townhouse complex with a bicycle during that brief time Salmen was inside.
The paramedic says her bag is on the handlebars.
B.C. Emergency Health Services said no one was available for comment Wednesday.
RCMP confirmed they are investigating the theft and working towards identifying a suspect, including reviewing surveillance footage from the area.
“It is important to the public to know that this uniform is out there,” said Kelowna RCMP Cpl. Steven Lang.
With the uniform representing a position of authority, it raises public safety concerns if misused, something Lang said people need to be aware of.
“If they think there’s anything suspicious or the person that may be in front of them isn’t who they pretend to be or say that they are just to contact the agency that is being represented,” Lang said.
“And if their instinct is telling them something might be untoward or feels a little off, that they should believe in those signs.”
Salmen is also encouraging residents to be vigilant.
“I want the uniform back. I want it off the street,” she said.
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Kelowna residents warned to stay alert following theft of paramedic uniform
