logo
RCMP take steps to combat thieves targeting Alberta's evacuated communities

RCMP take steps to combat thieves targeting Alberta's evacuated communities

Global News06-06-2025
First, Yellowhead County Mayor Wade Williams was worried the hamlet of Peers, Alta., would go up in flames, and then he was alarmed to learn someone had stolen fire equipment.
'It is ridiculous and blows my mind that someone would come here and steal equipment that was laid out to save lives and homes,' Williams said.
Williams said the thief targeted water pumps.
'For anyone who would loot in an evacuated area, we need stiffer penalties.'
The province of Alberta said it is aware of this situation, and notes that it wasn't aware of any other incidents.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
In a statement to Global News, the Alberta government said, 'The alleged theft of fire equipment is utterly unacceptable and profoundly alarming, as it directly jeopardizes public safety during a vital period for Albertans while they're in crisis and places fire personnel in grave unnecessary danger.'
Story continues below advertisement
In May, RCMP arrested a man for tampering with sprinklers while the Redwater area was evacuated. Cpl. Troy Savinkoff said to combat this, police officers patrol empty areas 24/7.
They have also started using drones.
'This year, we are finding it extremely helpful and successful, when you have an evacuated area and have (this) asset,' Savinkoff said.
'You can cover off a lot of area. It's very easy to see suspicious behaviour with those drones.'
Tweet This
Click to share quote on Twitter: "You can cover off a lot of area. It's very easy to see suspicious behaviour with those drones."
Savinkoff said many of the thieves who target these areas are repeat offenders.
'They're potentially finding ways in or not everybody evacuates, so it becomes an issue of managing the people that chose to remain in the community.'
As there are more evacuation order issues, Savinkoff stresses Mounties will continue to patrol these areas with both uniform and non-uniform officers.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Hugging bandit: Edmonton senior falls victim to distraction theft
Hugging bandit: Edmonton senior falls victim to distraction theft

Global News

timean hour ago

  • Global News

Hugging bandit: Edmonton senior falls victim to distraction theft

An Edmonton senior was taking her daily walk last week when a vehicle pulled over and a bizarre interaction occurred. The man in the car told 70-year-old Parwati Parwati to come closer. Parwati said she didn't feel nervous, because there was a woman and two small kids inside. When she got closer, the man said she looked like his grandmother who passed away, and he gave her a ring. When Parwati tried to refuse and say no, he asked her to wear it for a few minutes to bless it. She didn't want to be rude. Soon, he put more jewelry on her, and as part of the blessing pulled her in for a hug. But what seemed to be a kind exchange really turned out to be a scam. Story continues below advertisement While the man put on a cheap necklace on Parwati, he subtly stole her real necklace — a gold chain with a religious figure pendant. 'I just cried. I thought, oh my God, where is my chain? And then I (thought) they're not good people,' Parwati said. She said the people in the car were very nice and that is why she approached them. She wasn't sure if they needed help. Parwati's grandson, Sahil Prasad, posted the incident to Facebook, hoping to warn others. He said people have commented on the post, claiming something similar has happened to them. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Don't go near strangers. Stay away from strangers if you're on a walk, if possible,' Prasad said. Prasad said his grandmother hasn't left the house alone since the incident — she is traumatized. Alberta RCMP said they have received a number of reports related to gold and jewelry scams. The robbery will often happen in parking lots across Alberta. The scam follows a pattern: a victim is approached or flagged down by a seemingly stranded motorist. The scammer will use different tactics — they need money for food, gas or airfare to get home — and offer gold or jewelry for exchange. Story continues below advertisement In some cases, it's been reported the thieves will use distraction techniques to remove real jewelry from a victim and replace it with something cheap. Fraud prevention educator Julie Matthews said these scammers will often target the elderly. 'They know seniors can be more trusting and possibly not react in the same way and notice that their jewelry was removed,' Matthews said. 'We want people to know it's OK to say no, it's OK to say no loudly. 'Don't be afraid to yell for help and get the attention of people around you.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Don't be afraid to yell for help and get the attention of people around you." Matthews said the scammers are professionals at this, and follow a script. 'People need to know, (scammers) are very convincing. They may have children or other family members with them — because they know this makes them seem less threatening and you may let your guard down and let them get closer to you,' she said. Story continues below advertisement Matthews stresses it's important to take actions to protect yourself. 'Protect your own personal space. Don't let someone get that close to you, trust your gut. If something seems off you need to trust that and know it's OK to say no or walk away,' Matthews said. Don't trust strangers, she added. They will try to scam you when you don't expect it. 'That goes for in-person in a parking lot when we are gassing up our vehicles, to loading our groceries into our car, to being online and clicking on the wrong thing.' 'Nowadays we need to second guess everything.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Nowadays we need to second guess everything." Matthews said many people feel ashamed if they fall victim to a scam, but it's important to report it to police.

Thief allegedly drives off with vehicle just steps away from owner in Kelowna
Thief allegedly drives off with vehicle just steps away from owner in Kelowna

Global News

time2 hours ago

  • Global News

Thief allegedly drives off with vehicle just steps away from owner in Kelowna

What started as a normal Sunday evening quickly turned into a unexpected turn of events for Chef de Cuisine food truck owner Mohammed Nobi. 'I had just parked in front of my food truck and was working like usual,' said Nobi. But moments later, the spot where his vehicle usually sits was suddenly empty. 'I looked at my car, and it was moving. Then I saw the guy — he started to drive,' Nobi recalled. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy According to Nobi, the man behind the wheel was allegedly a customer he had just served. The vehicle wasn't the only thing taken — Nobi says his laptop, credit card, wallet, and other belongings were inside. By the time Nobi realized what was happening, it was too late to stop him. Story continues below advertisement 'I tried to catch him, but he was already at the driveway,' he said. 'So I called someone who works at a nearby board shop. He helped me drive all the way to the airport to follow him — but we couldn't find him.' Later that evening, a phone notification offered the first clue about the suspect's location. 'Highway 33 in the Rutland area. He was shopping there,' Nobi said. 'He used my debit card — and my wife's debit card too. There was a $470 transaction.' Nobi admits he left his keys in the car, a mistake he never expected to impact his small business. 'I had to shut down my business yesterday. I lost money,' he said. The RCMP confirm the theft remains under investigation.

Taxpayer-funded gift card purchases in Richmond stretch back to last decade
Taxpayer-funded gift card purchases in Richmond stretch back to last decade

Global News

time3 hours ago

  • Global News

Taxpayer-funded gift card purchases in Richmond stretch back to last decade

The excessive purchase of gift cards with taxpayer dollars at the City of Richmond appears to extend back into the last decade, a Global News investigation has discovered. Since January, Global News has been reporting on the excessive amount of money spent on purchasing gift cards in that city. At first, Richmond tried to say the cards were mostly for long service recognition. But the numbers didn't add up. Richmond has since admitted $295,000 worth of gift cards are unaccounted for. 2:24 Richmond staff internal memo on gift cards A forensic audit is now underway, along with an RCMP criminal investigation, and at least one employee has been fired. Story continues below advertisement Global News has now obtained documents through the freedom of information process showing gift card purchases for the years 2019 to 2022. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The FOI request returned more than 1,000 pages of documents. We're still analyzing the numbers but can report some early findings. It's apparent gift card purchases were excessive those years. Taxpayers bought cards for Lululemon, Cineplex, Netflix, Fairmont Hotels, Petro Canada, Indigo and numerous restaurants. 2:14 Richmond to audit decade of gift cards Other examples include $200 dollars of Starbucks gift cards, with a note indicating they were 'office supplies.' Taxpayers also bought Visa and Mastercard gift cards – essentially the equivalent of cash. In one two-month period in 2021, over $4,000 of these cards were purchased in $50 and $75 denominations from drug stores, gas stations, and Best Buy. Each card had a $5 dollar activation fee. Story continues below advertisement Richmond previously said the gift cards were never reported to Revenue Canada. Some cards were requested by the individual who was fired, but not all. We're analyzing the numbers and will have more in the days ahead. Meanwhile, Richmond RCMP say their investigation remains active and ongoing.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store