BANFF – A man and woman who were taken into custody by Banff RCMP are believed to be part of a string of thefts in the community.
Sgt. Natalie Rice, supervisor and investigator with Banff RCMP, said charges are pending after they were taken into custody Tuesday evening (June 25).
“Police had some dealings with individuals they believe were responsible for the string of thefts in town,” said Rice.
“A male and a female were arrested, and charges are pending. They're awaiting bail hearings.”
Rice said the individuals are not local to Banff, with one of them having “many outstanding allegations” in Calgary and Winnipeg. She said 24 victims have been identified in relation to the thefts.
“Lots of stolen property was recovered and victims were identified and have since been contacted,” Rice said. “We're still working through the property, so additional victims may be identified and contacted by police.”
Police said if a person has been a victim of theft over in recent weeks, they should contact Banff RCMP.
“I would ask that any victims step forward to provide a simple declaration of loss to state what you were missing, and we may be able to link it to the stolen property recovered,” said Rice.
A majority of the thefts have occurred in various staff rooms where personal items, such as wallets, have been stolen.
“The evidence would suggest that there they were entering back rooms, where the employees would leave their personal effects while they were on shift,” said Rice.
Rice said police were able to locate the alleged thieves quickly thanks to reports from the community.
Businesses are asked to have a safe and secure place for staff to lock their valuables to prevent similar thefts.
“Keep any valuables out of sight and locked up,” said Rice. “If some businesses can have locked areas for staff, that could be helpful with the prevention part of it.
“Establishments are so busy working, no one notices someone coming in and they're pillaging their backrooms, break rooms, and anything that's not locked or tied down, unfortunately.”
RCMP are also looking for CCTV footage which might be related to the thefts. The detachment can be contacted at 403-763-6600.
