WESTLOCK – For the fourth time in the past handful of weeks, a catalytic converter has been ripped from a vehicle in broad daylight.
Westlock RCMP report that sometime between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., June 8, thieves stole a catalytic converter from a vehicle parked at the Rotary Spirit Centre — there were no witnesses or surveillance video.
Meanwhile, between May 28 and 29, police dealt with three catalytic converter thefts, two of which happened at the Westlock Inn on Monday, May 29, between 11 a.m. and 11:16 a.m., while the third was at R.F. Staples School the prior day.
In those incidents, police are looking for two men and one woman, while the suspect vehicle is a black Ford Fusion sporting a spare tire on the rear passenger side. One of the men was seen wearing a light-coloured (possibly camo) jacket and a black baseball cap, while the other man was wearing a black t-shirt, blue jeans and white sunglasses. The woman, who was the driver, was wearing a light-green tank top, with her hair in a bun and possibly had tattoos on both of her upper arms.
Church window broken
Police are looking for leads after a window at the Westlock Gospel Chapel was broken by vandals earlier this month.
Westlock RCMP Detachment acting commander Cpl. Riley Sutherland said that overnight June 2-3 someone threw a rock through a ground-level window at the church — with no video surveillance, police currently don’t have any suspects. Sutherland said that as this was a one-off event, they aren’t treating it as a religious hate crime.
“We’re treating it as a mischief, and we can’t jump to any conclusions as to what the motivation was for the person. Now, if the Gospel Chapel was repeatedly having mischief done to it, there would be a pattern, and someone would be targeting it. But at this point, there’s only been one,” said Sutherland June 8.
Traffic stop ends with drug seizure
A 40-year-old Westlock-area man will face drug charges after a rural traffic stop.
Sutherland said that around 4:20 p.m., June 1, RCMP stopped a man on an off-highway vehicle in Westlock County, which led to his arrest on an outstanding warrant. During the stop, Sutherland said they also recovered 135 gram of crystal methamphetamine.
The man has been released from custody and as the charges against him have yet to be laid, a court date has not been set.
RCMP 150 celebration
The Westlock RCMP Detachment will be hosting a June 16 celebration in honour of the organization’s 150th birthday.
RCMP demonstrations and displays on tap from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. this coming Friday include police dog services, Indigenous policing, the RCMP helicopter and the explosives disposal unit as well as an RCMP recruitment booth. Citizens on Patrol will be hosting a cash barbeque, while a dunk tank will also be on site — proceeds going to Westlock Community Victim Services — in addition to a caricature artist, along with raffles and a 50-50 draw.
If you have any information on these, or any crime, call the Westlock RCMP Detachment at 780-349-4492 Monday to Friday during office hours, or if you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store. RCMP always encourages the public to report any criminal or suspicious activity as it tells them “where to look, who to look for, and where to patrol in the future” while if you see a crime in progress, dial 911.
