Snowmobiles stolen from city homes
RCMP release description of two machines stolen within 24 hours
James Goldie
Northern News Services
Friday, November 27, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Yellowknife RCMP are investigating the recent theft of two snowmobiles, stolen within 24 hours of each other.
The first machine was a 2006 Ski-Doo Expedition, stolen from the owner's Old Town residence on Sunday in the middle of the afternoon, according to an RCMP news release.
The owner had left the keys in the ignition at the time it was taken, the release states, and although the owner was able to contact authorities "just minutes after the theft occurred," the Ski-Doo had still not been located as of press time.
The next day, police received another report of a stolen snowmobile, this one a black and yellow 2004 Polaris Edge, taken overnight from a home in Niven Lake. Police did not say whether keys had been left with this snowmobile when it was taken.
"These thefts bring forward an opportunity to remind the public to lock their snowmobiles, and other recreational vehicles when not in use or unattended," the news release stated.
Bruce Hewlko, president of the Great Slave Snowmobile Association, said these kinds of thefts are all too common this time of year in Yellowknife.
"Most of them are hot-wired," he said. "Generally the older ones and the ones that do not have a digitally encrypted security system on them."
Hewlko said it's much easier for "two-stroke" snowmobiles, which tend to be older and have motors similar to chainsaws, than "four-stroke" models, which have motors similar to those found in cars. He said it's fairly easy to steal older models that rely on pull cords to start.
But Hewlko also pointed out human error can leave a snowmobile vulnerable to theft as well. He knows firsthand, having had a sled stolen from him two years ago when, during a busy day, he accidentally left his keys (including the tether cord containing digital technology needed to start the machine) with his snowmobile.
"The thief was able to hop on, start the machine and take off," he said.
Hewlko urged snowmobilers to take extra steps to avoid falling victim to such criminal acts. He said in addition to chaining up snowmobiles, even covering them with a tarp or parking them under a deck or behind a house can be enough to deter would-be thieves.
"People do have to protect themselves," he said. "It's unfortunate these things are stolen. It's generally not taken seriously because in most cases it's a toy but it is a major expense to a lot of people and you have to protect it."
Hewlko said the RCMP is doing the right thing by publishing descriptions of the snowmobiles and where they were stolen from. But he said he doesn't think that's enough.
When someone gets caught for stealing snowmobiles, he would like to see "some serious action taken against them, not just a slap on the wrist" from police and courts.
"The value of these snowmobiles are, (for) a decent used snowmobile, $5,000 to $15,000 or $16,000 (for a new machine). That's grand theft auto," he said. "There's a lot of people in town and that's how they get to work in the wintertime."
Hewlko said that in most cases, snowmobiles are stolen for a joy ride or by someone wanting a ride home. He said the stolen machines are frequently abandoned shortly after being taken.
