After two weeks of thefts in the Unity, Macklin and Wilkie area, the RCMP are asking the public to immediately take the following steps to reduce their risk of loss of property:
- Remove keys from vehicles when not driving them, even when parked in a garage or shop.
- Lock the doors on vehicles and do not leave valuables inside.
- Do not leave firearms unattended in vehicles.
- Should they observe suspicious persons/ vehicles on their property to call 911 and not confront the persons.
If you have information about any of the crimes described below or any other crime, please contact the Unity/Wilkie/Macklin RCMP at 306-228-6300 or you may call Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through SaskTel at *8477, or submit a tip online at www.saskcrimestoppers.com.
November 19 RCMP media release
The Unity/Wilkie/Macklin RCMP are seeking assistance from the public in solving a series of thefts in the area between Nov. 17 and 19.
On Nov. 17, between 4 a.m. and 5:30 a.m., a series of farmyards were entered north of Macklin, Saskatchewan, near Highway 17. Fuel and other items were stolen from unlocked outbuildings and vehicles and a Chevrolet pickup truck was stolen and later recovered rolled in a ditch east of Wilkie.
On Nov. 19, during the early morning hours, at least two suspects entered a farmyard just north of Wilkie, Saskatchewan and stole a 2008 Ford F450 dually pickup truck, white in colour with a large black slip tank and checker-plate toolbox in the back. The pickup truck is a crew-cab truck and had Saskatchewan Licence plate 124 IAC on it when stolen. RCMP are still searching for the stolen truck which is very distinctive in its appearance.
Residents in the area are reminded to lock their outbuildings and vehicles and not to leave keys in their vehicles to prevent theft.
November 25 RCMP media release
Unity RCMP were contacted by a Denzil area farmer at approximately 10:45 p.m. Nov. 24. The farmer advised he had discovered three trucks in his yard. The farmer went over to confront the occupants of the vehicles whereupon the vehicles fled the farmyard. During the course of the vehicles fleeing the yard, the farmer’s foot was driven over by one of the vehicles.
Minutes later the vehicles were reported driving erratically in Macklin, and were next sighted east of Macklin, near Evesham along Highway 14. At approximately the same time. there was a report of a quad being stolen from a farmyard near Highway 14 near Evesham.
Unity RCMP members located the vehicles near Evesham and attempted to stop them. The drivers of the vehicles briefly stopped their vehicles before taking off, with their lights off, on Highway 14. They headed east at a high rate of speed before heading in separate directions, all of which posed a risk to other traffic on the highway.
Battleford Police Dog Service and the surrounding detachments were notified, with Battlefords rural members locating the suspect vehicles as they entered the Red Pheasant Cree Nation. The vehicles fled the Battlefords members’ attempts to stop them.
One of the trucks was abandoned and recovered on the Red Pheasant Cree Nation minutes later. The vehicle was determined to have been stolen from a farmyard in the Unity district along Highway 14, west of Unity, Saskatchewan. A Remington model 750 .270 calibre hunting rifle was in the vehicle when it was stolen but was not in the vehicle when it was recovered.
A 2012 white Chevrolet SLT 1500 was stolen and recovered west of Unity. The recovered 2012 SLT had bullet holes in the windshield, believed to have been from the stolen hunting rifle.
Latest update
(For more complete information on steps taken by the RCMP to investigate these matters, please see the upcoming December 1 issue of the Unity Wilkie Press-Herald.)
An adult male and a young offender have been arrested and more arrests are expected. Some of the stolen vehicles have been recovered but police are still looking for the following:
- a white 2006 Ford F350 with a chrome push bumper on the front, Saskatchewan licence 895 GRY, stolen from a farmyard west of Unity along Highway 14; and
- a brown Chevrolet 2014 Silverado, Duck Dynasty edition, with camo flares and box accents, Saskatchewan licence 770 JMR, stolen from a yard east of Unity on Highway 14.