CARLYLE - Nothing is worse than leaving your home or property only to return and come to the realization that someone has broken into your home, shop or vehicle, and stolen your property.
This is a terrible feeling for anyone to have, and by no means would I ever blame a victim for having their property stolen. However, there are lots of things you can do to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of these crimes.
Below I have listed some helpful tips to prevent thieves and criminals from targeting you:
- Lock your stuff up. Don’t leave vehicles, sheds, houses or trailers unlocked.
- Keep valuables and money out of plain view. Don’t leave your purse, wallet or tools in plain sight like the front seat of your car or window of your house.
- Don’t leave keys in your vehicle, snowmobile, or ATVs. SGI has reported that over 50 per cent of stolen vehicles had keys left in them.
- Leave a light on. Leave an outside light on or an interior light on in the event you are going away. This will keep people guessing if someone is home.
- Purchase cameras. Cameras, even if they are cheap fake cameras, act as a huge deterrent from people breaking into your property.
- Let neighbours know when you’re going to be away.
- If the property is vacant, try and keep snow removed and grass cut to keep possible thieves guessing if someone is at the property.
I feel awful taking a statement from a person who just had their truck stolen and they tell me that the truck had been parked at an abandoned yard site, unlocked, with the keys inside. The province has seen a drastic increase in the amount of property stolen such as trailers, tools, ATVs and other vehicles.
I won’t comment on this too much, but often stolen property is exchanged for drugs and that being said, the people committing these crimes can be desperate and unpredictable.
If you should encounter someone breaking into your property or someone else’s, please call the police right away and do not approach them yourselves.
The number of criminal record checks completed at the Carlyle RCMP detachment has really picked up recently. We are requesting that if you need a criminal record check, you call the Carlyle RCMP at 306-453-6707 prior to attending and we can make you an appointment.
Criminal record checks are completed at the detachment on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We are restricted to the number of members of the public we are able to have in our building at one time, and we need to ensure proper sanitizing is completed before and after each visitor arrives at our front counter. Thank you for your co-operation.
The Carlyle RCMP was busy conducting traffic stops this week, issuing 56 tickets for speeding, inadequate lights and failing to have a driver’s licence, to name a few. The most expensive tickets this week were for driving a vehicle while holding, viewing, using or manipulating a cellphone, with a fine coming in at $580. The highest ticket of the week for speeding was $300 for travelling 135 kilometres an hour in a 100 zone on Highway 9.
On March 1, RCMP received a call from an upset female from Arcola, who reported that two large dogs have been continuously urinating and defecating on her property. The owner does not clean up after them. Unfortunately, much to the female caller’s dismay, RCMP had to direct her to call the Town of Arcola to report the dogs.
On March 2, RCMP was called to the Carlyle Post Office due to a highly intoxicated male needing an ambulance. The RCMP attended and found the male sitting on the floor with dried blood on his chin. RCMP attempted to have a conversation with him but were unable to communicate with him effectively because he was confused and highly intoxicated. He was transported to hospital to be assessed.
That same day, a female attended the RCMP detachment to report that snowmobilers continuously ride in her field near Manor without her permission. When they do this, it pushes the deer into her yard and they have been damaging her trees and property. The snowmobilers are not her neighbours and she has not given them permission to ride on her property. You need permission to ride a snowmobile or enter on to anyone’s property whether it’s posted or not.
A concerned mother called the RCMP on March 2, stating that she received a message from her daughter, who had advised she was a passenger in a vehicle with an intoxicated driver. RCMP made patrols to try and locate the impaired driver, but when they eventually located the vehicle it was parked at a residence. I know this should go without saying, but please do not get into a vehicle with a driver who is impaired.
On March 3, Carlyle RCMP were dispatched to a two-vehicle collision on Highway 13 near Redvers. The collision occurred when an adult female driving a black Chevrolet Cobalt attempted to pass a white Ford Crown Victoria while it was turning left off the highway. The black Cobalt made contact with the front end of the Crown Victoria while it was turning.
Several witnesses stopped and stated that they had observed the Cobalt driving erratically. Not only did the driver of the Cobalt cause this collision by passing when unsafe, but the driver also had a suspended driver’s licence, was driving an unregistered vehicle, wasn’t wearing her seatbelt and had a warrant for her arrest.
I’m not a ball player but that’s a lot of strikes for one person. The driver of the Cobalt was issued several fines for the incident and was arrested for her warrant. Luckily nobody was seriously injured in this collision.
Also on March 3, RCMP received a call advising that a dump truck had knocked down a power pole near Manor School. The incident happened when the dump truck driver’s coat got hooked on the dump box switch and lifted the box. When the box hooked on the power lines it caused the power pole to break. No one on injured during this collision and SaskPower was able to attend and fix the power pole and lines.
It’s always fortunate when no one gets charged after dealing with power lines.
On March 4, RCMP received a call of an intoxicated male passed out on Highway 9 near White Bear. RCMP attended and located the adult male on the highway. The male was arrested and given a safe warm spot to sober up in Carlyle jail.
That same day, RCMP received a call from a male from Antler stating he had been scammed out of $43,000 through online cryptocurrency. The details of this crime are still being investigated but I want to remind everyone to please use extreme caution when investing online.
On March 7, RCMP received a report of a Ford F550 truck being stolen from the service lot of Merit Ford in Carlyle. The truck was left in the service lot on March 4 and was reported stolen when it wasn’t there after the weekend. The truck was owned by Integrity Maintenance Ltd., and was truck number 35. Carlyle RCMP is requesting anyone with information about this incident to contact the RCMP by calling 306-453-6707. Information can be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477 or submitting a tip online at www.saskcrimestoppers.com
Scam of the week
This week’s scam preys on tragedy. Tragedy can be huge events like the war in Ukraine, the Humboldt Broncos’ bus crash, or something local such as a car crash or a building burning down. Scammers will contact you and ask for a donation toward that cause.
These scammers may contact you by phone or email but they have also been known to go door to door in communities where tragedy has struck. The scammer will use high-pressure tactics to get you to donate immediately. In this instance, the charity may or may not exist, but if it does exist the scammer is not connected to the charity.
To avoid these scams, ask for information in writing prior to making a donation. You can also check that the charity is registered with the Canada Revenue Agency at 800-267-2384.
We always recommend donating locally.
If you would like to learn about this fraud or any other fraud that is taking place, please visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca
I want to warn everyone that lots of reports of frauds are being reported right now with fraudsters claiming to be getting money and aid to the Ukraine. Please use caution and your best judgment, as once you send someone money in most cases it’s gone forever.
Police Joke
Operator: This is 911, what’s your emergency?
Caller: I just witnessed someone rob the donut shop.
Operator: Did you get the suspects’ badge number?
Have a great week and stay safe.
