By Robert Frank
www.thesuburban.com
Laval police have reported a flurry of snowblower thefts on Île Jésus.
“Since the beginning of winter, we have 40 reported cases of theft involving snowblowers worth,” Sgt. Frédéric Jean told The Suburban in an interview, Jan. 31.
“Most Laval homes are single-family dwellings and many residents do their own snow removal,” he explained. “Many people leave these prized items—worth $800-$3,000 apiece—in their driveway in full view and unlocked, or in temporary shelters.”
“Sometimes they even secure them with a chain, but this has not proved a sufficient deterrent,” he said. “These thefts happen late at night and the perpetrators simply cut the chain.”
Engrave your valuables
“A couple of weeks ago, officers detained people who had a snowblower in their possession, but because they couldn’t conclusively identify that it was the snowblower which was involved in one of the thefts, we were unable to press charges,” he explained. “You have to be able to prove it.”
The Laval police spokesman added that sometimes people have a photo that they can use to prove that the stolen item belongs to them. Hardware stores also sell engraving tools that can be used to write a unique identifying name or number on the snowblower—or other valuables.
He noted that even if police retrieve stolen snowblowers, they cannot be returned unless their owners they can prove that it belongs to them.
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