The last few weeks have seen a sharp increase in vehicle thefts in the region, prompting police to urge motorists to lock their vehicles and keep valuables out of sight.
In a report to the Warman City Council committee of the whole meeting on Monday, August 21, Warman RCMP Staff Sergeant Jason Teniuk said thieves appear to be targeting Chevrolet trucks as the vehicle of choice, particularly 2007 models and older.
“There have been ten or more incidents of this type of theft over the past month,” said Teniuk. “In the cities it’s even more. There were 40 vehicles stolen in Prince Albert over the weekend.”
He said there has also been a number of thefts of tools and firearms within the RM of Corman Park, as well as in Prince Albert, Saskatoon and communities in between.
“This is a very busy corridor,” said Teniuk. “It sees a lot of traffic, and thieves are very mobile.”
He said the thefts of firearms appear not to be random.
“With regard to the stolen firearms, the thieves are breaking into locked safes and secure cabinets to get at them,” he said. “The firearms themselves are stored securely.”
Teniuk said the local RCMP detachment is working with the Corman Park Police, Saskatoon Police and Prince Albert Police on investigations into the thefts. He added that there is usually an “uptick” in thefts and break-and-enters every fall.
“I’m urging everyone to lock their vehicles and homes, and report any suspicious activity to the RCMP at 306-975-1670.”
The RCMP is preparing to hold ‘town hall’ meetings with the public this fall to facilitate dialogue and increase communication in communities throughout the detachment area, said Teniuk.
“We’re looking at hosting the meetings during the last week of October and the first week of November,” he said. “We want to engage with the public, hear their concerns, and explain our operations.”