‘They don’t seem concerned about getting caught’: RM responds to spike in vehicle thefts

“They don’t seem concerned about getting caught. They are taking that same stolen vehicle and having it appear at five or six robberies,” he said.

Ritz cited one example where the same one-ton truck showed up on several security cameras.

“They take a vehicle to get from one point to the next and a lot of times, there seem to be multiple vehicles stolen by the same group as they make their way across an area,” he said.

Ritz explained the RM council plans to meet with the RCMP at an upcoming meeting, and hinted those discussions may impact budget discussions.

“I know the RM of Frenchman Butte has added another RCMP member, 70 per cent dedicated to them, simply to address this type of thing to get more wheels on the ground,” he said.

In terms of what people are doing to be proactive, Ritz said he was not aware of any talk related to a local crime watch group, but added a lot of people have put up cameras and do their best to watch each other’s properties.

“I wouldn’t call it mobilizing but people are certainly starting to take advantage of whatever is available to them to get eyes on the ground,” Ritz said.

What’s happening in the Turtleford area may simply be part of a bigger trend across the province.

From November 1, 2019 to October 31, 2020 there were 78 motor vehicle thefts investigated by the Ahtahkakoop Detachment, and 122 in the Prince Albert Detachment area.

SGI’s stats show decrease in reported claims

While the numbers for the Turtleford and Prince Albert areas may appear higher, the actual provincial figures reveal a more positive trend.

For the period from Dec. 1, 2019 to Nov. 30, 2020, there were 2,760 auto theft claims registered with SGI for vehicles stolen in Saskatchewan. This compared to 3,519 for the period from Dec. 1, 2018 to Nov. 30 2019.

SGI noted however the claims reported don’t necessarily account for every vehicle stolen in the province. Examples include someone steals a vehicle that isn’t insured, or the vehicle is recovered and the damage isn’t worth filing a claim for (or the owner opts to pay out of pocket to repair it).

The following is a list of the top 10 stolen autos in Saskatchewan in order, from claims registered between Dec. 1, 2019 to Nov. 30, 2020:

FORD F150 SUPERCREW 4WD
FORD F350 SD CREWCAB 4WD DIESEL
DODGE RAM 1500 CREW CAB 4WD
DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB 4WD
CHEV SILVERADO 1500 CREWCAB 4WD
FORD F150 SUPERCAB 4WD
GMC SIERRA 1500 CREWCAB 4WD
CHEV SILVERADO 1500 EXT CAB 4WD
GMC SIERRA 1500 EXT CAB 4WD
DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SE

Response from RCMP

According to an emailed statement from the Saskatchewan RCMP, they continue to encourage the public to report any criminal or suspicious activity to police.

“Your reports tell us where to look, who to look for, and where to patrol in the future,” the statement said.

With respect to what people can do to protect themselves, RCMP recommended a number of measures including the use of a remote starter or to stay with your vehicle while it warms up. RCMP also remind people to remove valuables from vehicles, including the garage door opener.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca’

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell

by Nigel Maxwell

‘They don’t seem concerned about getting caught’: RM responds to spike in vehicle thefts

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