A rash of truck thefts, attempted truck thefts and thefts from vehicles has Westlock RCMP looking for the public’s help catch those responsible.
Cpl. Sandra Milner said in the past week there have been half a dozen incidents of attempted truck thefts, and in the past few weeks there have been many reported thefts from vehicles.
“It costs all of us money in insurance with vehicle thefts,” she said. “It’s certainly not a victimless crime; we all pay for it. Especially the owners of the vehicles, who have to go through their insurance and deal with repairs.”
While there has been a recent upswing in the amount of this type of activity, Milner said it’s still nowhere near as bad as the situation in the Westlock area in late 2010 and early 2011.
Nonetheless, police are cautioning residents to remove all valuables from their vehicles and keep them locked, and to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity.
Last Sunday, Jan. 27, the owner of a truck parked in south Westlock reported items stolen from the vehicle.
The next day, police got a report that a Ford F250 had been stolen from a residence in east Westlock. It was recovered in Clyde the next morning.
On Tuesday, the owner of a Ford SRW in east Westlock reported the door cylinder lock and truck ignition switch had been broken in an apparent attempt to steal the truck.
A Ford F350 was reported stolen Thursday, Jan. 31 at about 9 p.m. The truck was located about a block away with the door lock punched in and the ignition tampered with. Two suspects were seen leaving on foot and getting into a blue car; one of them is described as 5’9”, Caucasian, in his mid-20s with a thin build.
Finally on Friday, the owner of a Chevrolet SUV reported smashed windows and tool marks on the door of the vehicles, which was parked at a residence downtown.
That same day, the owner of a Ford SRW reported the vehicle’s door lock had been punched out. At this point police have no suspects; Milner said it could just as easily be someone or a group of people from out of town targeting Westlock as it could be local residents.
“We know that there are people living in Westlock County who are certainly capable of being involved,” she said. “We also have arrested two different groups in the fall who were from outside Westlock. I wouldn’t exclude anything.”
Police would like to remind residents to remove valuables from vehicles and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity.
Anyone with information about these or any other crimes can call the RCMP at 780-349-4491 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
