Skip to content

Rash of thefts has struck Estevan

The Estevan Police Service has been dealing with a rash of thefts so far this year, and is asking the public to be watchful of any suspicious activity.

The Estevan Police Service has been dealing with a rash of thefts so far this year, and is asking the public to be watchful of any suspicious activity.

In the past two weeks, the EPS has been called to several incidents, including:

  • A break and enter to an apartment Jan. 10 at 308 Petterson Drive. A laptop computer case, containing a variety of personal and business-related items, was stolen. An alleged culprit in that case was later arrested.
  • Several incidents of mischief and thefts to community mailboxes in Estevan. In some cases, the suspects did not gain access, but in other cases, some mail was taken. The incidents occurred on Valley Street and in the Willow Park Greens Home Park. 
  • A theft-trespass incident on Jan. 15. A male suspect crawled up a balcony of a second floor apartment building in north Estevan. The culprit took some property that was out on the balcony and left the area. It is believed he was on the balcony twice during the night, once just after midnight and again at 2:45 a.m.
  • A person entered garages along the 1200-block of Eighth Street around 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 16. Some property was taken from at least one of the locations. The suspect was last seen walking towards the Estevan Leisure Centre, and was wearing a facemask and bright yellow gloves.

The EPS did announce last week they had made an arrest in connection with some of the thefts, including another incident in which a hotel master key was stolen and used to break into some hotel rooms. Some stolen mail was located.

Christopher Borgen, a 30-year-old man from Weyburn, was charged with several offences.

But since then, the EPS handled complaints for additional theft of mail incidents, leading the EPS to believe the incidents are connected.

“We do believe there’s some different individuals involved, but all related, and we believe the parties are known to each other,” said Police Chief Paul Ladouceur.

It’s hard to say whether the balcony and garage theft incidents are connected, but there is likely a tie-in for the other thefts. Investigators are working very diligently on the file, according to the police chief.

As for theft of mail, it would be easy to write it off as a lesser crime, but it could lead to identity theft problems.

“We’re seeing a lot of mailbox break-ins,” said Ladouceur. “We’re seeing a lot of theft of mail and property. So it becomes more of a nuisance than anything. The real concerning part is what then happens with that information.”

Investigators are looking to see if there has been any inappropriate use of information stolen through the mail. These investigations take time, as there is a lot of paperwork that officers have to sort through.

Among the items stolen have been cheques and personal identity items.

“We want to make sure that those people are protected and that their identity is safe, and not to used inappropriately,” said Ladouceur.

Some people might not their mail has been stolen, so it’s hard to know exactly how many people have been affected.

“If you can imagine a hockey-style bag filled with mail, that’s what the investigators are working through right now,” said the police chief. “So a lot of information is there, a lot of different people’s names and a lot of locations that the investigators have to follow up with.”

The EPS has also been reaching out to those affected. Officers have been working with Weyburn police to try to determine the identity of these victims.

Ladouceur pointed out there are both victims and suspects in Estevan and Weyburn.

There is also evidence that documents stolen through the mail have been altered, including cheques. Somebody could be looking to sell the items they steal for profit.

If people notice something suspicious, Ladouceur urged them to give the EPS a call. People are often hesitant to call police, because they believe the EPS has better things to do, but Ladouceur said they would rather prevent crime than react to it.

“No phone call is bothersome to us. We would much rather find out that someone is reporting a suspicious person, and we go and we check that individual out, and we find out there is nothing suspicious at all.”

It’s a better situation than finding out that someone went through 20 people’s mailboxes, but nobody reported suspicious activity because they didn’t want to bother the police. 

“Nobody knows their neighbourhoods than the people that live there. Usually people can sense when something just seems out of place, or a little bit odd,” said Ladouceur.