A recent CrimeStoppers photo shows the suspects prowling in a parking lot around 3 a.m. on Monday.
RCMP officers have been playing a frustrating game of cat and mouse with some local criminals around La Ronge.
A small group of two to four people is believed to be responsible for more than 20 recent crimes in La Ronge and Kitsaki reserve area, according to the La Ronge RCMP.
The suspects have stolen from recreational trailers, sheds, and vehicles within the past week or so, and left behind a trail of smashed windows and vandalism, said Staff Sergeant Richard Price.
Officers have been doing surveillance to try to catch them in the act, but Price said so far the suspects have slipped through their fingers.
“We did have members in the area when we got a couple of reports that break-ins had happened. They were not able to identify them or catch them that night but were definitely in the area,” he said.
He did note the actions of the police and a homeowner likely stopped further break-ins that night, however Price admits it’s frustrating. The RCMP’s beefed up their patrols, and been enforcing the recently reignited youth curfew.
“We never want to see that many people victims, especially in such a short period of time,” he said. “If we can identify them in the future here, no doubt there will be several charges being laid. We want to recover as much of the stolen property as we can and get the items back to the rightful owners.”
Vandalism and thefts have been a recurring issue in the community. The Town of La Ronge recently announced a task force to deal with the issue.
Recently, they made a call to enforce a 2005 curfew, saying those under the age of 18 can’t be out past 11 p.m. without supervision.
Despite the national media attention the curfew got Price, says there hasn’t been much action with it. No one’s been arrested, or even escorted home. One youth was out about five or 10 minutes past 11 p.m., but was so close to home that officers let the youth walk home.
Price points out, with the current suspects, the curfew isn’t likely going to make a difference even though they’re typically out between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., so they are breaking the curfew.
“If we did see a group out we would be stopping them to talk to them. But because of what they’re doing they’re also not going to be walking down the road, letting us stop them because they’re not wanting to be identified,” he said.
Anyone with information on the rash of recent crimes can contact CrimeStoppers anonymously, and potentially get a $2,000 reward for information.
Meanwhile, the local task force is soon expected to announce a public meeting about its plans.