Amanda Vaughan
Northern News Services
Published Friday, September 21, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - A thief made off with nearly $6,000 worth of construction tools early this month, and the RCMP are warning folks who might be in the market for second-hand tools.

"We are definitely asking people to keep their eyes open," said Const. Roxanne Dreilich of Yellowknife RCMP's community policing unit.

"It can certainly happen," Dreilich said of Yellowknifers encountering stolen goods for sale in mainstream situations, like local buy and sell sites and garage sales.

"These were not your basic home handy-man types of tools, they were professional grade, and many of them pricier than most," Dreilich said, noting that they might stand out to someone who is familiar with power tools and construction.

The tools were stolen from a residential construction site on Morrison Drive sometime over the weekend of Sept. 8-9, and were discovered missing when their owner returned to work Monday morning.

Dreilich said all the tools were put away and stored in a toolbox, which was in a shed at the rear of the property. The toolbox was emptied and left behind by the thief, but all of the tools were taken.

A press release issued by the RCMP stated that most of the stolen items are Mikita brand power tools, but that there was also a Bosch brand nailer and stapler. Dreilich said the tools did not have any identifying marks other than their serial numbers.

The RCMP conduct standard neighborhood inquiries in such cases, according to Dreilich, but she said that they do not have any witnesses or suspects in this investigation. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Yellowknife RCMP or Crime Stoppers.