The Estevan Police Service (EPS) is warning industrial property owners about securing their sites after receiving reports of three industrial thefts in a little more than a week.
The police reports for the Aug. 9 and 14 day shifts, and the Aug. 17 night shift, noted the businesses had experienced theft of wire. Deputy Chief Murray Cowan said these thefts have happened in the past, and there has been a recent increase in the activity.
“Our members are certainly … stepping up patrols in these areas,” said Cowan.
All three thefts involved copper wire.
“That tends to be what people target there, because there is quite a value to that stuff,” said Cowan.
Most businesses now have surveillance videos in place to monitor their sites, and that is a step the EPS wants businesses to take.
“It’s funny how people tend not to worry about those things, in this day and age with computers and electronics and stuff,” said Cowan. “There’s a lot of preventative measures that these businesses take, and we think that’s fantastic and great, and we continue to encourage people to take those steps.”
It’s tough to say whether the three thefts are connected, he said. Officers have gathered evidence from each of the scenes.
“There’s always what we call a footprint left behind, and people can try to cover their tracks as much as they can. It does not matter, there’s always some kind of footprint left behind, and that’s usually how they can tell whether there’s a relation between the different thefts have occurred.”
These types of thefts tend to happen in cycles, he said, and sometimes the culprits think it’s an easy thing to enter a yard and try to steal items that are in secured compounds or yards.
He urges businesses to have the necessary surveillance and security equipment, as the merchandise that is being stolen or taken is more valuable than the cost to purchase and install the cameras or motion sensor alarms.
The thefts are under investigation. Anyone with information can contact the Estevan Police Service at 306-634-4767 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
