Thieves target truck, ATVs

Turner Valley RCMP are on the look-out for thieves responsible for stealing two holiday trailers, an ATV, a side-by-side off-road vehicle and a pick-up truck in Black Diamond last week.

Turner Valley RCMP Cpl. Tiffany McGregor said a 34-foot Crossroads holiday trailer and a 40-foot Gulf Stream holiday trailer went missing from a storage facility in Black Diamond at around noon on Nov. 28.

She said it appears the culprits gained access through a locked electronic gate that requires a fob key to open. No damage was done to the gate.

“Our investigation leads us to believe they were taken during the daylight hours,” she said. “We received some information after the units were gone that one was spotted going eastbound from Black Diamond at around lunch time.”

The following day, the RCMP received a report of a Polaris quad and side-by-side that went missing overnight from a rural area west of Millarville.

On Nov. 30, a grey 2009 Dodge Ram was reported stolen from a driveway at a Black Diamond residence. Owner of the truck Terry Studd said there was thousands of dollars worth of tools and electronics inside when it went missing, and another $16,000 worth of extras on the vehicle.

“I’m not happy,” he said. “Even though you have insurance you never get out of it what you put into it and what it’s worth to you.”

Studd believes he may have seen one of the culprits responsible for the theft the night before.

He said he heard a vehicle door open and close in or near his driveway on Tuesday night. He looked out the window and saw a man wearing a black hoodie and dark pants walking a dog away from his driveway down the street.

“It looked like he was stopping at almost every vehicle he was passing and looking inside,” he said, adding he wondered if the dog was just urinating on tires. “My gut told me this guy was casing everything out.”

Studd said he didn’t think much of it until the next morning when his neighbour came over to get a ride from his wife at around 8 a.m. and told him she was surprised to see him at home as his truck wasn’t in the driveway.

Studd said he’s not sure if the keys were left in the truck or in the open garage overnight, and that the theft has him being more careful in what he used to consider a safe neighbourhood.

“I’ve never had anything happen up here before,” he said. “It was pretty secure.”

From now on the Studds are keeping their doors and garage locked, and will change all of their locks.

“They’ve got all of our keys to everything I basically own,” he said.

McGregor said theft is on the rise due to the current economic situation.

“Unfortunately, we’ve seen property crime and thefts go up due to the results of the downturn in the economy,” she said. “It seems like when the economy is on the downturn, crime is on the rise. People are falling on harder times.”

To prevent theft from occurring, McGregor suggests drivers remove keys and valuables from their vehicles and ensure the doors are locked. In the case of holiday trailers, McGregor said trailer or hitch locks can be purchased to help prevent theft.

“Take the precautions that you can,” she said. “A lot of people these days are investing in surveillance.”

Looking out for one another can also be helpful, said McGregor.

“Be a good neighbour and keep an eye out for suspicious activity,” she said. “Report it to the police when you see it, not three hours later or 24 hours later. If you hear of instances like this occurring any information you have, no matter how small, provide it and let the police determine whether it’s useful or not.”

Anyone with information about the recent thefts or any other crime can contact Turner Valley RCMP at 403-933-7227 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.