SOAP LAKE — A cannabis shop was hit by a burglary early Friday morning, according to a statement from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. 

At around 1:30 a.m. Friday, GCSO deputies were dispatched to an intrusion alarm at 2020 Solutions, a dispensary in the 200 block of State Route 28 in Soap Lake.  

Upon arrival, deputies saw no suspects. However, there had been another attempted burglary at the business Jan. 27, so the GCSO Crime Reduction Team performed a stakeout.  

“The crime reduction team and other deputies took the initiative to conduct surveillance, and that surveillance ended up paying off,” GCSO Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said.  

Not long after the deputies concealed themselves, they saw two people in the parking lot of the business stuffing items into a bag.  

A foot pursuit started and one of the suspects, a 16-year-old boy, was caught with several sealed packages of marijuana from the store’s inventory. That juvenile was arrested and booked into Chelan County Juvenile Justice Center for suspicion of second-degree burglary, possession of controlled substances, first-degree attempted burglary, second-degree possession of stolen property and second-degree theft.  

The other suspect, also a 16-year-old boy, was tracked down by GCSO CRT deputies and arrested on Saturday. He was booked into CCJJC for second-degree burglary, first-degree attempted burglary and second-degree theft.  

“The only reference I have to how much it was the word used by the deputy in his report, which was ‘copious amounts of marijuana,’” Foreman said.  

In Grant County, there is the Soap Lake Prevention Coalition whose goal is to address underage substance use and misuse to help youth thrive. The coalition meets at 5 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday. For more information visit SoapLakePreventionCoalition.org or call the coalition's coordinator, Ryan Boldman, at 509-770-0841.

“There is no excuse for crime,” Boldman wrote in a statement. “Breaking into someone’s business and stealing what isn’t yours to satisfy a selfish desire is indefensible, regardless of age or circumstance. The idea that your wants or needs outweigh the rights of the person you’re stealing from cannot be justified. It’s dishonest, dishonorable, and ultimately causes more harm than good – to everyone involved. There is no excuse. But there are reasons.”

Boldman said that far too often conversations regarding crime focus on punishing the act rather than addressing what caused the act to happen in the first place.  

In the cannabis store robbery, Boldman wants to know what led the two juveniles to break into the store and risk their reputations, freedom and future for a short-term thrill. 

“Where were those responsible for these kids? Presumably, they live at home, although that’s not a given,” Boldman wrote in a statement. “Do we, as parents, know where our kids are and what they’re doing? What kind of support system have these boys had growing up? And is it possible that this is part of a larger issue? In the past year alone, youth in Soap Lake have been caught driving drunk, overdosing on fentanyl, attempting suicide, vandalizing property, and now, breaking into a store for marijuana.” 

Boldman said it is easy to sit behind a screen and call them foolish; however, he would rather focus on who taught and encouraged them to do these actions. 

“What examples have they had? Has the revolving door of leadership in Soap Lake – city government, law enforcement, schools – provided them with a sense of stability? Unlikely,” Boldman wrote. “Has the local economy reassured them of a bright future? Doubtful. Perhaps they weren’t paying attention to the lessons from their church youth groups, their mentors at the Boys and Girls Club or their scout leaders … Oh, wait. Those things don’t exist in Soap Lake.” 

Boldman then asked if adults created more positive and consistent opportunities, and if these crimes could be prevented. If adults decided to mentor instead of mock children, he wondered, could they be guided onto a better path? If parents were paying closer attention and holding themselves accountable, he suggested, the number of reckless decisions would go down. Finally, instead of celebrating the imprisonment of teenagers, he wondered what would happen if it was asked whether the adults in the community were part of the problem. 

“Youth are a product of their environment,” Boldman wrote. “So, when situations like this arise, rather than simply condemning the offenders, shouldn’t we take a long, hard look at the environment that continues to produce them? It’s true — the kids got what they deserved. But in light of the conditions that contributed to their actions, maybe the community did too. While those kids sit in custody learning their lesson, will we take the time to learn ours? Time will tell.”