As farmers are working long days to bring in the harvest and hunters can be seen up and down our grid roads, rural residents are usually on edge as the volume of strange vehicles increases in their usually quiet communities. It is this time of year thieves are ready to take advantage of the farmers being busy in the fields and increased hunter traffic, suspicious vehicles aren’t uncommon, and they try not to stand out among them.
Residents near Garrick and Choiceland have been warning their own neighbours of one suspicious car in particular. About two weeks ago a Garrick area resident saw a small black car pull into their driveway then leave again. The resident at first assumed the person had just pulled into the wrong yard and wasn’t too concerned.
Recently, that resident heard a nearby neighbour had been awoken, just the night before, and heard someone going through their vehicles. While they didn’t see a vehicle, they heard what may have been quads. Talking to more friends and neighbours, they found two other residents that also reported having a small black car that pulled into yards but suspiciously sped away, at least one was about the same time they had witnessed a car, fitting the description of the small black one, in their driveway.
Early Monday morning, a truck was stolen out of a farmyard near Choiceland (this truck has been located) and over in White Fox, reports of siphoned gas from a car and a failed possible attempt to steal a Side by Side all-terrain vehicle a couple of weeks ago have those communities wary as well.
Very few of these incidents get reported to the RCMP for various reasons. Some don’t think it’s serious enough if nothing was stolen, some don’t want to waste the RCMP’s time while others feel it is pointless because even if the RCMP eventually came out, there would be nothing they could do. One White Fox resident explained that there are some that don’t wish to report these petty crimes, for fear of retaliation.
It’s important that residents understand that many of these smaller incidents could be connected to other cases. It is better to report incidents to the RCMP even if there is nothing that can be done.
Should you have any information regarding thefts or any other crimes, please contact your local RCMP Detachment
Tisdale RCMP Detachment at 306-878-3810
Nipawin RCMP Detachment can be reached at 306-862-6270
Carrot River RCMP Detachment’s number is 306-768-1200
Anyone wishing to remain anonymous in reporting can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), submit a tip via their website http://crimestoppers.com or text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) with TIP206 plus your tip in the message.
