Alberta RCMP lay charges in irrigation thefts, damage

A Vauxhall, Alta. resident faces numerous charges in connection with the theft and damage to irrigation pivots.

RCMP Southern Alberta District Crime Reduction Unit (SAD CRU) began its investigation in May, with the assistance of Strathmore and Brooks RCMP, looking into a series of damage to and theft from irrigation pivots from various farms. These thefts began in the area of Wheatland County, and the investigation led to a suspect being identified.

During the early morning hours of July 16, SAD CRU officers observed the suspect in the process of stealing irrigation equipment from a farm in Newell County. The suspect fled the area in a vehicle at an extremely high rate of speed, and when police again located the vehicle, they determined that the suspect had fled on foot into the City of Brooks. The suspect was located in Brooks and arrested.

Through further investigation, police were able to confirm the suspect’s involvement in additional irrigation equipment thefts from farms in Southern Alberta, including within the MD of Taber.