A stolen truck, lovingly referred to as “the Sister of PigPen”, has been found, but the damage swirling in its wake, like the dust of the Peanuts character namesake, remains a problem.
Early on March 31, Easter Sunday morning, two people were captured on video surveillance in the compound of the Twin Valley Co-op location south of Miniota, Man.
“They hot-wired the truck and drove it right through the gate when they left,” said Twin Valley Co-op general manager Dwayne Moncur. “It’s the damage done during the theft that’s the real problem.”
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He estimates repairs to the gate alone could cost $10,000, and although the facility is insured, there’s the question of whether to place a claim.
He is quick to share his appreciation for local RCMP efforts and cites several incidents in which police almost immediately caught people who dashed away after fueling at Twin Valley locations.
“We just make a phone call and they’re on it,” he said.
Rural theft is an ongoing problem and rural organizations have often called for better policing. However, the space that many enjoy most about living in a rural setting also makes it difficult to police.
A Statistics Canada report released last year found that police services that cover mostly rural areas serve 15 per cent of the population but report 24 per cent of violent crimes, 18 per cent of property crimes, 30 per cent of Criminal Code traffic offences and 23 per cent of other Criminal Code violations.
“Rural crime was one of the top priorities that Keystone Agricultural Producers had identified … going into the provincial election,” KAP president Jill Verwey told the Manitoba Co-operator when the report was released. “And all three major parties were pleased to support and look at ways … to combat this problem.”
The Twin Valley Co-Op posted the recent theft to social media hoping to get a response.
It did.
Moncur says the truck was found on the side of the road near Minnedosa.
“The response was amazing. We really need that truck come springtime, and now we don’t have to hunt around for a replacement.
“We just picked it up and drove it home, so we got lucky there.”
