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Resident says police not doing enough about vehicle break-ins

Kevin Butt had his vehicle broken into earlier this month. Luckily, he caught the perpetrator on camera, taking only some loose change.
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Kevin Butt captured video of what he says was a perpetrator breaking into his vehicle earlier this month. He added that he received an apology afterward. Photo courtesy of Kevin Butt

Kevin Butt had his vehicle broken into earlier this month. Luckily, he caught the perpetrator on camera, taking only some loose change.

Later, he says a local homeless shelter asked one of its young clients to approach Butt and apologize for committing the break-in.

During the early morning this past Monday, Butt, who lives in Range Lake north, says his daughter’s vehicle was broken into about two and a half kilometres away. A $50 gift card was stolen in the incident.

Butt is one of several Yellowknifers who have shared their experiences of vehicle break-ins on social media over the past month. Although Butt reported the incident and submitted evidence to the RCMP, he says he’s frustrated by what he sees as a lack of action on the part of law enforcement.

“People call and give them this information, with the video, and (the police are) saying, ‘Well, there’s not much we can do because the courts won’t do anything with them,’” he says. “So basically, it becomes a waste of time.”

Despite a significant amount of social media attention on recent thefts from cars in the city, Yellowknife RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Matt Halstead said there has not been a recent uptick in reported thefts from vehicles.

“We are aware that there have been some social media posts about vehicle thefts but unfortunately these reports aren’t being made to the police,” he said. “We encourage anyone who has had similar incidents occurring to report them to the police. This information assists us in determining the hotspots for this activity and allows us to plan a targeted response. Surveillance footage is also invaluable and greatly assists our investigators.”

He said based on existing evidence, there is likely more than one person responsible for the recent break-ins.

Halstead also provided a list of tips for residents to avoid theft from vehicles. These include making sure all doors are closed and locked, parking in areas with plenty of lighting, keeping valuables out of the vehicle or out of sight in the vehicle, and turning on residential exterior lights to keep the vehicle and surrounding area well lit.