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Castlegar RCMP warn of ‘thefts of opportunity’

Thefts occurring in Castlegar, Robson and Raspberry
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A streak of thefts in and around Castlegar is affecting those leaving valuables unattended and unsecured.

“We are still getting random thefts,” said Castlegar RCMP Cpl. Jason Olney. “It’s been all over the place, in Robson, Raspberry and in Castlegar itself.”

He also said that a lot of the thefts are going unsolved and the incidents seem to be thefts of opportunity.

“The biggest thing seems to be just the opportunity for these individuals to take things that are readily available,” said Olney. “It is not so much break-and-enter, forcing entry into houses and stealing stuff — it’s random things left in the yard or an open shed.”

There does not appear to be any particular pattern to the thefts. There may be a few reports one day from the same neighbourhood, and then several days later the reports will come from a different area.

Olney estimates that there are several reports each week.

There have been thefts from vehicles also and Olney says a common factor is that the vehicles were left unlocked.

Olney would like to remind residents to: “Lock up the valuables, make sure they are secured in the yard, make sure your vehicle is secured with the valuables out of sight.”



Betsy Kline

About the Author: Betsy Kline

After spending several years as a freelance writer for the Castlegar News, Betsy joined the editorial staff as a reporter in March of 2015. In 2020, she moved into the editor's position.
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