The snow has Const. Alan Hughes worried. The Community Response Officer for the Burnside area of Dartmouth isn't worried about the weather conditions as much as he's concerned about legitimate snowplow operators losing the equipment they need to make a living.
Hughes has seen several incidents this winter where thieves have struck fenced, locked compounds in Dartmouth stealing snowplows and salt spreaders from trucks.
Hughes said that although these crimes are relatively rare, they are troublesome.
"These are targeted crimes. It appears the thieves know where the equipment is stored and take the time to steal it when nobody else is around," he said.
In one incident, a truck was stolen and driven away by thieves only to be found a short time later stripped of its plow and salt spreader.
In another case under investigation, a hole was cut in a fence allowing thieves to remove the snow and ice clearing equipment unnoticed. The hole in the fence was disguised when the thieves were finished, making the crime difficult to notice.
Snowplows and salt spreaders are large, heavy pieces of equipment requiring significant time and know-how to steal.
Seeing snowplows or salt-spreading equipment at this time of the year is not unusual, Hughes said. It's often hard to tell if equipment is stolen or appears out of place, he said.
"People are used to seeing it around and most of the time the equipment is being operated by legitimate snowplow drivers conducting their business," he said.
Hughes said the easiest way to protect equipment is to secure it inside a locked building. If it's necessary to keep the equipment outside, keep it in a well-lit location in a fenced compound. Consider a video surveillance system to guard the compound and record any serial numbers and identifying marks on the equipment.
Hughes advocates another solution for preventing thefts.
He believes that if neighbours are watching out for each other, criminals will think twice before striking. Knowing that businesses watch out for each other can be a powerful crime deterrent, he said.
"As a business community, we should all pitch in and watch each other's businesses and report any suspicious activity to police so it can be followed up."
