Erin Fletcher
Northern News Services

Tuktoyaktuk (Sep 08/03) - Eight vehicles and one boat suffered more than $32,000 worth of damage after a few hours of "fun" for four Tuktoyaktuk vandals.

Police suspect four persons boarded a line of Northern Transportation Company Ltd. barges anchored off-shore in Tuktoyaktuk Harbour, said Tuktoyaktuk RCMP Sgt. Joe Laughlin.

Three men -- aged 21, 20 and 18 -- and a 21-year-old woman have been charged with mischief over $5,000. They could face a maximum jail sentence of 10 years.

The event happened in the early hours of July 23.

"They drove the vehicles on the barges, crashing into some of the other vehicles and some lumber," said Laughlin.

By the time they were done, one vehicle was wedged between two barges and two vehicles sustained more than $9,000 worth of damage each, he said.

The vehicles -- mostly trucks -- were destined for residents in Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk.

One of those vehicles was a GMC truck destined for Red Pedersen in Kugluktuk.

This is the second time Pedersen's shipments have been wrecked by Tuktoyaktuk vandals. In 1996 it was a SUV.

Both vehicles were replaced. In '96 the SUV became an eight-cylinder pickup truck. This year the GMC truck is being substituted by a similar model, but different in colour. NTCL paid for the replacements.

"It's a sad thing to see that kind of activity, but happily it is not a common occurrence," said Gordon Norberg, NTCL manager of marketing and traffic co-ordination for the Western Arctic.

Tuktoyaktuk is the central shipping terminal for barges travelling north or east.

Although there are few vandalism problems in Tuktoyaktuk, Norberg said, there are some in the smaller communities.

He usually has 24-hour security during small community drop-offs to protect the barges from kids throwing rocks and damaging the equipment.

"With a large operation like Tuktoyaktuk, this incident said to us to put security on, especially in the off-hours," said Norberg.

Insurance for goods shipped on barges is usually the responsibility of the individual, said Norberg. But the company also deals with claims on an individual basis.

Tuktoyaktuk RCMP apprehended three suspects on July 23 and the fourth on July 24, thanks to the forethought of some NTCL employees, said Laughlin.

The employees did not board the barges, which kept the crime scene uncontaminated.

"They allowed us all the time we needed," said Laughlin, adding a footprint specialist was also brought in from Inuvik to track the vandals down.

Their first court date is set for Sept. 23 in Tuktoyaktuk.

-- with files from Ron

Tologanak